Missing Link in Love
by Mixer18
Summary: Eight years have passed; Luna is two years into her schooling at King's College London. One day, she decides to study abroad in her hometown of New Domino and reunite with one Yusei Fudo. Akiza now helps Luna. Can they work this dillema out? Story's done.
1. Chapter 1

_This idea may need to be retooled, depending on the feedback._

Inside the lobby of an office, part of King's College London, sat a young woman who looked to be between the ages of 20 to 21. Her hair was a spring green color, maybe Easter green. Her attire was moderate but suited her style: a light strawberry pink blouse, a white skirt that reached her knees, and white high heels.

"Luna, Dr. Marwell will see you now," the elderly receptionist told her. The girl stayed silent while standing up and gingerly making her way into the doctor's office.

"Um, hello doctor," Luna meekly greeted her student advisor.

"Glad you could make it," Marwell responded upbeat. He looked like most men when in an occupation that's all business: jacket hanging on his chair, dark blue tie, pressed white dress shirt and pants, a very light touch of gray hair, and a ring sticking out of his eyebrow.

"What did you need to see me for?" the young woman asked right to the point.

"It's the matter of your request to study abroad," the advisor answered, typing a few sequences into his computer. "You've filled the necessary requirements: 45 credit hours and a respectable grade point average."

"So…what seems to be the problem?"

"You have a myriad of options to choose from," the doctor spelled out. "Most are for an entire school year."

"What do I have to choose from?" Luna inquired.

"There's Johannesburg, Moscow, Auckland, New York, or Santa Barbara," Marwell read off his computer. "What do you think?"

"Well, South Africa seems like the best option—" Her thought was cut short when Marwell held his hand to stop her talking.

"Hang on, I missed one," he interrupted her as he perused to the bottom of the computer document. "There's also…..New Domino City."

"You're kidding me." The young woman's jaw almost dropped in disbelief. Her adviser nodded "no" and turned his monitor around to prove it.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"New Domino is where I lived up until the whole Ark Cradle incident," she explained. With this revelation, the advisor pulled up Luna's student profile to verify her claim.

"Looks to be so; place of birth: New Domino City," Marwell said astute. "Why not use this opportunity to return home and see your friends again?"

"All but one of us left New Domino over eight years ago," Luna sighed. "I don't think any of us have been back since."

"If you do decide on returning home, and it is for a year, you will also have a unique itinerary compared to what you had here for two years," the advisor explained. "In lieu of school work, you'll be assigned to a position, working under an established figure, in the city's political or social infrastructure or its energy development and maintenance division."

"Do I have a choice where I land?" the student shrugged.

"You won't have a choice," Marwell negated verbally. "In a nutshell, you'll be working and representing on behalf of our institution. 25 credit hours is the max you can receive for your contributions."

"Sign me up," Luna requested. "I want to go home."

"Just let me enter the necessary information and…done," the doctor said over his typing motion. "Your flight leaves in one week."

"Thank you doctor," she bowed in gratitude. The advisor gave her a two finger salute and returned to his work after Luna exited the lobby.

"I'm going home," she sang in her mind. "Maybe I'll even get to see _him_ again. I hope."

* * *

><p><em>Seven days later….<em>

The day finally came for Luna to make the long journey home. When she had broke the news to her friends, they were apprehensive at first but supported their friend and her journey to return home. Once they were at London Heathrow Airport and found the departure gate, the contingent stood on as they saw their friend walk away.

"Goodbye Luna!" the female chorus harmonized, trying to hold back tears.

"Bye, everyone," she squeaked back. Luna turned her back to them and treaded her way onto her plane bound for New Domino City. Amongst the hustle and bustle on the plane, she was able to locate her seat.

"Now let's see where I'm going," the girl pondered, pulling an envelope out of her jacket containing her visa and other paperwork. "I'm assigned….to energy development and maintenance." Looking closer in her paperwork, she couldn't find anything about who'd she be working for or in what capacity. Without anything else to do, the young woman pulled out her iPod, pressed "play," and laid her head back.

* * *

><p>The flight dragged on for what seemed like forever. Despite her loss of time as the plane descended into New Domino, Luna did keep track of how many cycles her iPod made as she listened to her music: 500 songs 3 times over.<p>

"Time to get up," she yawned. The girl grabbed her purse and hobbled over to baggage claim. After retrieving her rolling suitcase, she noticed a short man, in a driver's uniform, holding up a sign with her name on it. She went up to the guy and he led her to a car usually reserved for driving executives around. She stayed quiet as the little man drove her to the city's science and research park.

"All this was built in eight years? Impressive," she gauged, snapping a few pictures when possible. The little man brought Luna to a large complex in the back of the park and dropped the girl off at the front door.

"Um, hello?" the inquisitive girl asked in the expansive lobby when she saw a help desk way over on the other side.

"Can I help you?" the inattentive secretary inquired plaintively.

"I'm…..here as part of my," Luna spelled out, handing her the paperwork she went over on the plane. "But I didn't find anything about who I'd be working under."

"Let's see if we can solve this," the secretary listed, typing in a few codes before an answer came up. "Your supervisor/professor or whatever is through that door. I'll alert 'im."

"Here we go," the girl mentally warned herself, luggage in tow, while treading to the door and pushing it open. "Anyone home?"

"Yes, I understand you're here for studying abroad," a familiar deep voice greeted her, turning around to see Luna. "Allow me introduce myself: my name is—"

"Yusei?" the girl wondered astonished. "Unreal…"

_After seeing a really good Yusei/Luna romance story pop up recently, I thought I'd try another attempt at it after reanimating my first story. The premise is basically the same from the second part. Did I pull this off or does it need to be retooled? Don't be shy now; any help is greatly appreciated. As for my current hit story (is it a hit?), "Not Just a Sweet Nothing" will continue. Review if you choose._


	2. Chapter 2

_Let's keep this moving._

She couldn't believe her eyes: what were the odds that Luna would be learning from Yusei? Granted, she honestly believed that she would see him again, but never in this scenario.

"How do you already know my—Luna, is that you?" the scientist quickly questioned, moving his glasses over his forehead. The girl was the first to react; she dropped her stuff on the floor and clacked in her heels over to him. For dramatic flair, Luna leapt the remaining two feet, hoping Yusei would catch her. Just as she predicted, the scientist did catch her.

"And here I thought deer could only pull off long majestic strides," he attempted to zing.

"That's nice," the college girl answered in a deadpan manner. She didn't really care that Yusei compared her to an animal; she was just ecstatic to see him. Even though Yusei had to be between the ages of 27 to 28, the only major difference from the last time she saw him was the glasses. He had the stereotypical scientist's outfit and everything.

"You haven't aged a single day," the girl complimented him. "The glasses are new, though."

"What, these?" Yusei wondered aloud, taking them off and handing them to the girl. "I've had these for a while now. The generators produce a lot of light at times and the lenses change to different shades, according to the amount of light around. I had excellent vision before the glasses, but after a few incidents where I could've been blinded, I never go anywhere without these things. What do you think?"

"At first I didn't think you could've worn glasses, but I think you look good with them," Luna added to her beginning compliment. "Can you show me around?"

"Absolutely," Yusei agreed. With his glasses back on and scribbling a few details on his clipboard, Luna retrieved her belongings and the tour was on.

"The entire city went under several makeovers following Z-one's attempt to destroy it," the scientist recounted. "For starters, a strictly enforced air-pollution ordinance has led to our city having some of the best untainted air and oxygen around."

"I noticed," Luna whiffed. "It even has a….wintergreen scent to it."

"You'd be surprised what you can smell around here," Yusei pointed out. The tour continued with Yusei showing Luna the energy generator that powers the entire metropolis, assorted labs for mechanical and biological research, and a display that shows the global grid of power consumption. Even though she was part of the energy development and maintenance division, it was only named for being the city's top scientific use.

"That's all she wrote," the scientist said to end the tour. "Of course, this is just here. There're other things around the city that have changed as well that are not quite as obvious."

"Mm-hmm," the girl nodded. It wasn't that she was at a loss for words. Luna was just mesmerized by Yusei. She was finding it hard to believe that the man she idolized as an older brother hadn't really changed that much in eight years. The criminal mark was still on his face. His hair was still in that black flame shape. His eyes still had that piercing but clam gaze.

"Hellooo, Earth to Luna," Yusei rang in her ears and snapping his fingers.

"Huh, what? What happened?" she clucked, coming back to reality.

"You kinda spaced out on me for a second," the scientist explained. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"It's….jetlag, yeah," the girl half-lied. "It's a long trip from London, don't you know?"

"I'm not going to try and disagree with you," he chuckled. "Maybe you'd feel better if we got something to eat."

"That'd be nice," Luna agreed. "But don't you have to work?"

"It's no big deal," Yusei waved off dismissively. "I'm the head researcher here and have put in more than enough hours to leave early as often as I want and not make a habit of it."

"Well then, let's get moving," the girl suggested. She had to wait while Yusei dipped inside the men's locker room and switched into something more casual. When he came out, Luna started to feel more at home: Yusei had switched back into his blue blazer, red and black patterned muscle shirt, motorcycle jeans, and knee-high boots.

"Now _that's_ the Yusei I remember so fondly," the girl reminded. "Do you still have your runner on hand?"

"That's at home," the off-duty scientist answered. "Come with me. I drive something that'll take you by surprise." He guided her down to the parking garage and took her to the spot reserved for him.

"You drive a Lamborghini now?" Luna asked in amazement. "That I did not expect." Yusei shook his head as he unlocked the trunk so the girl would have her belongings safe and out of the way.

"Hop in," the guy requested from the driver's seat. Timidly, Luna slowly opened the passenger's side door, stepped in carefully, and closed the door gently.

"Everything's so smooth and spotless," she gauged. "You must take good care of this thing."

"Luxury and speed go hand in hand," Yusei summarized. With a click of the ignition and shifting of the gears, he seamlessly navigated the sports car through the garage and onto the city streets. She didn't any mind to the monotonous engine noise; Luna was just enthralled by Yusei. Sure, she always held him in the highest regard, that he would always do whatever's necessary for the greater good. It's just that, once she saw him for the first time in eight years, something popped up in the back of her mind, something lovelorn. She had noticed Yusei wasn't wearing a ring, at least when his gloves were off. Did he even have a love interest in his life yet? Luna didn't disregard that thought yet, but kept in the back of her mind for now. Her thought process was interrupted by a sudden brake and stop.

"We're here," he sang, turning the car off simultaneously. Luna didn't recognize the restaurant at all, so she assumed it must've been built after she and her brother departed so many years ago. Her thoughts were interrupted again when she heard her door open and saw that Yusei had come around to open it.

"You haven't changed one bit," she hummed, stepping out before the door closed.

"I'm just me," Yusei summarized. "I don't know how to be anyone else."

"That's understandable, but I hope you and I can connect a bit deeper from eight years ago," Luna thought as they walked inside. "You haven't changed much outside or inside, but I can feel something….different, in a good way."

_Some of this chapter falls under the "filler" category. For everything else, I wanted to get Luna's changing thoughts out in the open. What do you all think? How would this story rate on a scale of one to ten thus far? If anyone has ideas for later on, shoot them to me. Review if you wish. 'til next time._


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 2 got little feedback. Wonder why?_

"Yusei!" The customers, staff, and chefs on duty all greeted him in sync.

"How's it going, everybody?" the off-duty scientist responded. Luna stayed quiet, but amazed, as Yusei snapped his fingers. A waitress came up and showed the duo to an open booth.

"The usual iced tea for you, Dr. Fudo," the waitress jumped the gun on drink requests. "And for your friend?"

"Um….if you have lemonade, I'll have some of that," the college girl requested timidly.

"Coming right up," the waitress bowed, dashing off to tend to everyone else.

"You seem really popular here," Luna stated the obvious.

"That's one way to put it," Yusei answered. "Not long after you left the city, this place came up. It didn't take long 'til this restaurant became a hot spot."

"But how do they all know your name?" the young woman pondered.

"Well, when this place came under financial hardship, I fronted a sizeable portion of my salary to keep this place running and get a renovation," the scientist explained. "Ownership and management were so grateful that anytime I come here, the meal's free for me and for anyone I'm with."

"Wow, and here I thought you had gained fame like that Norm character from _Cheers_," Luna spelled out.

"On a different note, what's changed for you when we last saw each other?" Yusei wondered aloud. "I've already given you a glimpse of what I've done."

"Leo and I were reunited with our parents after leaving New Domino, for starters," she recounted as the drinks were placed on the table. "We told them all about our battles as Signers and all that jazz."

"What'd they make of it?" the older man inquired.

"I'm still not sure," the girl replied. "First they thought we were making it all up. But Leo, in his usual stubborn self, went all out and tried to prove everything."

"What's Leo been doing?" he followed up.

"He got really good with that duel board you built him," Luna continued. "His duel skills also improved greatly. He's even won a few junior tournaments. Plus, as we speak, he's working on dominating the Turbo Dueling minor leagues."

"Impressive," the scientist gauged. "It won't be long 'til Leo is compared to Crow or Jack."

"Funny you should mention that," the girl interjected. "He's told me how he's preparing to take on Crow and Jack in the future and that he'll win."

"Always good to have confidence," Yusei summarized. While they weren't looking, the waitress reappeared, ready to take their order.

"What'll it be, you two?" the peppy female employee asked.

"Reuben melt," the scientist said point-blank.

"All right," she responded, writing down what Yusei requested. "And for your friend?"

"Uh...hang on," the college girl tried to find something palatable. "I'll try the...wheat pasta."

"Coming right up," the waitress said, taking the menus off of the table.

"You know, Yusei, I gotta tell you something," Luna started to say.

"Well, spill it," he requested.

"I didn't think it was possible that I'd be working with you in this internship thing or whatever-it-is," she revealed. "I did believe that I would see you again, but not this way."

"Fate is a fickle thing," the scientist philosophized. "It's capable of good and bad fortune in every extent. All you can really do is hope for the best."

"He's just as insightful as he was ages ago," the girl thought. The idle chatter was put on hold as their dinner was brought to them. From the size of Yusei's Reuben, Luna didn't think he could even shovel it down. Then again, her doubt was out to rest while she saw her older brother figure chomp away at the sandwich.

"He must be really hungry," she figured out while nibbling at her platter. The girl took her time ingesting the noodles after Yusei had swiftly devoured his Reuben. He watched her slurp the noodles while he cleaned his teeth out with a toothpick.

"Looks like I'm done," she announced, dropping her fork on the plate.

"Hang on, gotta leave a tip," the scientist murmured while he pulled a few bills of moderate denomination from his wallet and slapped them down. "All set." Once the girl touched up her makeup, the two were back on the road, ready to call it a day.

* * *

><p>"Now that my stomach is filled, there's just one problem left to solve," Luna spelled out.<p>

"What might that be?" Yusei wondered over the revving engine.

"I need to find a place to stay for the next twelve months," the girl pointed out. "I guess I'm supposed to figure that out on my own and I haven't yet."

"That can be remedied easily," the scientist theorized. "My place has a spare room. You can stay with me."

"Um, are you sure about that?" Luna asked apprehensively. "I don't want to be a burden to you."

"It's no trouble at all," he waved off. "I don't get much company as it is."

"If you say so, then I'll take that opportunity," the girl chimed cautiously. Yusei nodded in agreement and turned the car sharply onto a street lit only be streetlights.

"We're here," the guy sang in Luna's ears. She moved her head up to see a domicile that was longer in length and width than most homes.

"This is your house?" she quizzed him in astonishment.

"That it is," Yusei answered briefly, wheeling the car into the garage. "Hang on." He got out of the vehicle, zipped to the passenger's side, and opened the door for the girl.

"How kind of you," Luna complimented him. "Chivalry's not dead yet, as long as you're here."

"I like your wit," the scientist refuted, closing the door and retrieving Luna's belongings. She stayed quiet as Yusei showed her around his home, both stories of it, and to her room for the coming year.

"I can work with this," she gauged the living space. It was outfitted in a periwinkle blue color, a bed on the far side, small high-def TV, closet, and a personal bathroom.

"Glad you like it," Yusei thanked her, setting her stuff inside the door. "If you ever need something, there's always a good chance you'll find me in my office down the hall. My room is right next to it as well."

"Duly noted," she reminded herself.

"I'll let you get settled in," the scientist bowed as he walked out of sight.

"I can feel his saint-like personality radiating," Luna thought. "I think I'll like this place."

* * *

><p>The girl took a little over 30 minutes to make this spare room her home away from home. She put a few framed pictures from school on her dresser. In the center went her photo of Team 5D's celebrating their victory in the World Racing Grand Prix.<p>

"Things were so chaotic back then, but we were able to handle it 'cause we had each other," Luna rhapsodized. "Those were the days." She was so caught up in her memories that she didn't hear Yusei slowly approach her open door.

"Knock knock," he gently alerted her.

"Hey," the girl greeted back. "I'm guessing this is you trying to relax?" In this instance, Yusei had ditched his blazer, jeans, and boots, but still had his red and black shirt and long black shorts.

"Gee, what gave it away?" he asked with sarcasm. "Looks like you're settled in now."

"Yeah," the girl replied. "I figured out a way to say 'thank you' for putting me up while I'm here." Yusei was taken off guard when Luna lodged her head under his chin and wrapped her arms around him.

"You're quite welcome," he answered back with a hug of his own. "You should probably get some rest. Even though your flight landed a little over 4½ hours ago, jetlag may have taken that many days out of you."

"I won't argue with that," Luna weighed in. "Good night." Yusei shot her the "it's all good" pistol salute with his hands and sauntered his office.

"His body is so toned, but it feels...gentle," the girl tittered to herself. "Protective, too."

_One review on Chapter 2 came up the day it was published. Maybe I put it in on an off day or something. Hopefully this makes up for it. I'm trying to get back to "Sweet Nothing," but I'm on the fence on how it should end. At least this story's somewhat established a small following. I'd like it to grow though. Review if you so desire. How does this chapter rate on a 1 to 10 scale? 'til next time._


	4. Chapter 4

_Still holding out hope for a dedicated following._

With a night to sleep on everything that transpired thus far, Luna was trying to make sense of what she saw from Yusei while she dozed. His personality hadn't changed much in eight years. There were the glasses, the flashy car, and palatial house that threw her off. Maybe being the city's top scientist paid well. When there was time, the girl would definitely ask.

* * *

><p>The hometown girl slept peacefully past sunrise and into mid-morning. She was feeling like a child in summer again, getting to sleep in and all. Her schedule at college didn't give her that luxury. Yusei, on the other hand, had arisen not long after the sun did.<p>

"She must still be sleeping," the young scientist hypothesized when seeing Luna's door was closed. "Can't blame her though. She'll be down soon." Ever so slightly, Yusei creaked away hoping the floor wouldn't wake the girl. There was one thing he didn't count on: Luna having sensitive hearing.

"He must be nearby," she yawned and opened her eyes. "Maybe Yusei has something up for today." The college girl rolled out of bed, showered, polished her teeth, smoothed out her face, and fluffed her hair up.

She pranced down to the kitchen to find Yusei in a somewhat articulate position. Before entering, she saw that her "roommate" was casting a shadow from sunrays shining through a window over the sink. Two things were noticeable: the shadow accentuated his muscles and stature like a cutout silhouette. Secondly, the light portrayed Yusei in a majestic form, like he was an art statue.

"He looks so...perfect," she mouthed to herself. "He glows too." Luna instantly covered her mouth at her last statement since she said at her normal tone.

"Look who's awake," the scientist greeted his female charge. "Sleep well?" Still in awe of finding one of her closest friends in a graceful light, Luna was only able to mutter some semi-intelligible gibberish.

"I assume that means yes," Yusei guessed. "If you're hungry, I left some chocolate muffins in the microwave. If that's not your taste, feel free to thumb around for anything you want. For the next year, this is your house as well." The man cracked his knuckles a few times before heading towards the garage.

"Where are you going?" she wanted to know.

"Working on the runner," he vocally gestured while closing the door behind him.

"Just like he used to do back then," the girl reminisced. "Why do I feel so different around him now? Could it be that when I've interacted with other guys after leaving the city that I want them to be like him?" Now she had a dilemma on her hands: would her view of Yusei change for better or worse while she was home? Luna always admired him when she knew him. Now that she had matured into a young woman, her mind was toying with the notion that maybe it was time to take that chance at Yusei. She had yet to find proof that he was interested in someone else. The only logical interest would be Akiza, but she was most likely still in medical school. But maybe they had already spoken after going their separate ways. Luna was going to sort this out, one way or another.

* * *

><p>She had settled on finishing off the chocolate muffins Yusei told her about. Even though she was trying to keep a trim figure, it was hard for Luna to say "no" to chocolate. Plus, the fact that it was in muffin form was metaphorical icing on the cake. She nibbled away on her third muffin while going through her phone, looking for something to read. It just so happened that her horoscope popped up, ready to predict her upcoming fortune.<p>

"You've suddenly reached an impasse in your life," it read. "Your best option to solving it is to take it slow, but drop hints every now and again. Hopefully someone picks up your hints and offers their input." So many times with horoscopes is that one has to take their validity with a grain of salt. Even so, it's hard not to when the writing is like it came from the future or something.

"I thought these things were supposed to be for entertainment, but this just hits me on the head," Luna sighed. "Should I wing it or follow it?" The girl nibbled her muffin away and decided to roll with it.

* * *

><p>"Is it okay if I join you out here?" she called out in the garage. "It's lonely inside the house."<p>

"No one's saying that you can't and I'm not," Yusei chuckled. "Besides, it'd be nice to have someone to talk to."

"Yay," she squeaked, pirouetting to the other side of his car. "Your runner is still the same as it was."

"Exactly," the scientist sided with her.

"I thought you'd still use this thing to get around instead of your car," the girl wondered. "What gives?"

"It may seem kind of ridiculous, but I got this thing at an auction a while back," Yusei explained. "I wasn't a car guy to begin with, but how many other opportunities will I have to own something almost as sleek as my runner?"

"No other rationale behind it?" Luna asked.

"Believe what you want, but what's done is done," the young scientist retorted.

"Turning to something else, have you spoken to Akiza at all after we left?" she inquired.

"A few times," he confirmed. "Anytime her schooling lightened up, we talked when we could."

"What about recently?" Luna added.

"Afraid not," Yusei replied. "The last time we did talk, she mentioned that she was close to receiving her doctorate in medicine. I think that was….close to ten months ago."

"Did you two toy with the idea of taking your bond to a deeper level?" she blurted out.

"We _considered_ it," he placated. "But we realized that both of us had our callings right where we wanted them and didn't want to give them up. Besides, long-distance relationships have a low rate of working out."

"I see," the college girl sighed. "What about your love life in general? Any luck with that?"

"I've had a few dates, but nothing significant yet," Yusei summarized. "Anything could happen, I guess."

"So he and Akiza loved each other enough to let the other pursue their calling," she theorized. "Let's hope I have a chance with Yusei."

_Akiza has been mentioned in this story, but I'm not sure if or when it would be appropriate to have her appear. As for Leo, I have an idea where he can come in. Did the horoscope fit in well? I might consider having it appear a few more times. I'm sticking with the "1 to 10" scale thing, and back it up with how I pulled things off. Every chapter's not going to be perfect for everyone, but I try to make it plausible. Review if you wish._


	5. Chapter 5

_Maybe the ongoing heat wave should play a role._

As Yusei continued to maintain his runner, Luna resorted to just…watching him from behind his car. Their small talk dried up and he didn't mind that she was sitting there, eyeing him on.

"He moves just as gracefully as he did back then," the young woman sighed mentally. "Now that I've seen him for the first time in forever, I can truly appreciate what Yusei's capable of." He splashed his face with water from his bottle in an attempt to stay cool. Despite the sudden rush of liquid, his hair still kept its shape even with beads of water bouncing around. That's when a sudden phone ringing pierced the otherwise calm garage environment. It was Yusei's cell phone.

"Hello?" he answered. "Yeah...yeah...jus-just keep watch of the generator and put out an advisory or something. Everything's gonna be fine." He clicked his phone off and returned it to his pocket.

"What's going on?" Luna wondered out loud.

"With a string of scorching days starting today, there's a red flag going up, so to speak, that may put the reactor out of commission," the scientist explained. "Even though it puts out more energy than in the past, it's just as susceptible to failure in high heat conditions. "

"What's this about an advisory?"

"Fortunately for us, the people of the city do heed warnings that could take away from personal comfort," Yusei continued. "They take action to make sure there aren't any unused appliances or electronics draining the generator output. But I like to do them one better."

"What's that mean?" the college student asked, looking puzzled.

"In days like this, I try to give the AC a break by doing some stuff outside," he explained further.

"But aren't you concerned that you might suffer from heat collapse or something?" the girl pondered concerned for Yusei's well-being.

"There's always that risk, but I have a few tricks to help endure the heat," the scientist winked. "First, I'm well conditioned. Having a stronger tolerance for heat helps me in that regard." Luna looked over him to see that he wasn't kidding. To the untrained eye, Yusei looked almost the same as he did eight years ago. Closer examination revealed that his extremities and torso were a tad more sinewy compared to before.

"Second is a no brainer: constant access to hydrating fluids." He shook his reusable bottle for emphasis.

"Plus, the awning on the back porch, designed by me, offers better shade compared to those shown on TV, a twenty-seven degree difference versus twenty."

"I'm not going to disagree with you there," Luna pointed out. "And I'm willing to try that awning for myself." Yusei obliged and took her through the kitchen to a serene viewpoint. His awning, decorated in a light blue/royal blue stripe formation, extended over a smooth wooden porch, where a hot tub was perched on the end to the left.

"I think I'll stay out here for a while," she suggested. "It feels warm, but not the overbearing kind of warm, rather the kind of warm that makes you feel all fuzzy inside."

"Interesting logic," Yusei noted. "Enjoy it out here." He slipped back inside through the open sliding door and disappeared for a few seconds. With no one watching, Luna stripped into a light pink tank top but kept her bike shorts on. Although her small and meek stature as a child wouldn't grant her much of an "endowment", in a sense her "endowment" was 75% of what Akiza had. Maybe Yusei would take notice of it.

* * *

><p>While her roommate continued to fiddle around inside the house, the girl took a seat in a patio chair and took some time to behold what she saw around her. In spite of Yusei's probably hectic schedule, he had found time to keep his backyard groomed, like one would find on a golf course, and brighten it up with different kinds of flowers.<p>

"I never figured him as someone who'd do plant stuff, but maybe that's due to all the limited interaction he had before with plant life," Luna theorized mentally. "In any case, he has an excellent touch." Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door slide open and Yusei step out. He was in black swim trunks, sporting sunglasses, had a towel in hand, and along with a dark bottle.

"What are you up to?" she asked.

"I'm getting my tan touched up," the scientist answered. Apparently, he also paid attention to personal appearance. The girl kept her eyes on him as he laid the towel over one of two lawn chairs and basted his skin with tanning oil.

He laid out in the intense sun, letting the rays "burn" his skin just enough to take a darker color. All the while, Luna had quickly abandoned her chair and balanced her head on her crossed arms over the wooden porch railing, watching him.

"Why is it that I can't stop looking at him?" she asked herself. "Perhaps it's possible that...I'm getting a crush on Yusei." Even though she gulped at this, it actually had a somewhat plausible shot at success. Even though she was younger than her idol/close friend, the fact that she matured considerably and gained some wisdom along the way made it a real possibility. Still, there was a lot for her to figure out.

"Hey Luna, I could use a hand here," the tanning man called out from his chair.

"Uh...sure," she quickly agreed, standing up and stepping over to him. "What do you need?"

"Can you oil my back?" he requested while flipping over on his stomach.

"Uh..." the girl stammered, trying to look away.

"Come on, I don't bite," Yusei teased. "Go on." Luna gave a sharp exhale, squirted some tanning oil over Yusei's back, and laid her hand upon it and started moving them around.

"That's it, get it all over," he encouraged her.

"This is actually happening," Luna told herself. "His back looks like just like the rest of his body: sculpted and muscular. It feels good on my hands." She came close to pressing her chest against his back.

"That's good enough, thank you," he dismissed her efforts. "It's good." The young woman stood up and backed away and went back to watching him tan.

"His touch is now on my hands," she thought. "This only makes things difficult. Now I feel like I need to get another fix."

_Yet another filler chapter, but this is all I had for today, considering "Sweet Nothing" has been shelved for now. I used the heat wave gripping much of the US as a plot device for Luna to see Yusei in the buff and start gathering thoughts of love/romance for him. Should I keep it? Review and rate if you choose._


	6. Chapter 6

_Looks like I'm doing something right._

The sun continued to move across the sky on this particularly baking hot day. Yusei had succeeded in improving his tan just enough to give his skin a light mahogany hue. Of course, it wouldn't have been an all-over tan if he hadn't asked Luna to oil up his back.

She still remained out on the back porch, deep in thought, long after Yusei had retreated inside and did some computer work. Her journey home had now taken a more interesting turn; no longer was this about education and expanding her vocational horizon. The girl was developing a crush on Yusei. Conversely, the burning question was: would Yusei give her a chance, and if so, for how long? All Luna could do was: sit outside and ponder any and all outcomes.

* * *

><p>"Anyone awake out here?" the recently tanned man questioned, poking his head out of the sliding door.<p>

"What now? Oh, it's just you," the college girl uttered. "I'm just doing a lot of...thinking."

"Maybe some dinner will provide 'food for thought,' if you catch my drift."

"Wait, let me check." She pulled up her watch and was stunned to see it was past 5:30. She had spent nearly six hours in a shade that was almost as cool as inside the house.

"Wow, time sure flies," she laughed off, standing up and strolling inside where it was more comfortable. "What's on tap?"

"In the spirit of heat, I whisked together a pot of red chili not more than a few hours ago and let it simmer while you were outside," Yusei listed. The young woman felt her stomach rumble and Yusei ladled out two bowls for them to chow down on. Luna took a bite and her taste buds almost lifted off of her tongue.

"This is really good," she confessed before gulping down another bite. "It is spicy, but just enough to leave a gentle burn on the back of my tongue."

"Thank you," the scientist responded gently. "It's another example of my effort to be skilled or interested in other things besides science and physics. I want to be sure that I achieve a….balance between work and leisure." The girl nodded between bites to show she was paying attention.

"You've had eight years," she mouthed. "Just be thankful you didn't have to tread through the college gauntlet."

"What do you mean?" he questioned back.

"It's like this," Luna listed. "Prior to this 'study abroad' thing, I've had to do a lot of writing, tests and quizzes, walking around, and juggling a social life."

"That's all necessary in the educational process," Yusei commented. "Although there are people out there questioning the validity of a degree, it's better to have it than not have it all."

"I follow that," the young woman sided verbally.

"Out of everyone that I work with, I'm the only one without any type of formal education," the scientist admitted. "Despite that, I put in hours upon hours of work and got to be Domino's lead researcher."

"I shouldn't have been surprised by that," the young woman said. "I don't know of anyone else that works anymore harder or diligently than you." It was a fair chance that Yusei had heard that before, but Luna tried to make sure it came from her heart. The scientist finished off his bowl and left the girl by herself as he went back to whatever work he must've been doing.

"Even though he's not saying it, I can tell that he wants to be with someone," she thought to herself. "Maybe that should be me."

* * *

><p>With dinner in the rearview mirror, Luna resorted to passing the time by watching TV; what else was there to do? It wouldn't be too long until she would start with Yusei for the city's next scientific breakthrough. While she surfed for something to watch, she heard his voice talking, at first faintly, then gradually getting louder. He must've been talking to someone.<p>

"Good to know," he said with a beep following.

"What's the good word?" the girl inquired.

"The reactor held its own under the heat today," Yusei answered, hopping over the couch and sitting next to Luna. "It lives to generate another day."

"That's good then," she agreed. "Of course, to someone like me, I'm hoping that thing continues running. I'd rather not bake inside a house." That's when it hit her: Yusei was just about an inch and a half from the girl's right side, close enough to hear him breathe. She also noticed that his tan had settled somewhat to the color of a lightly toasted marshmallow.

"Your tan makes you look…good," the girl sidestepped. She didn't want to say outright that he looked attractive, which was true to her.

"Thank you," the scientist answered. "One of my colleagues turned me onto this and I was hesitant at first, but then it grew on me, but at least I'm not tan crazy. A light crisp does me good."

"Can I...feel it?" Luna requested timidly.

"Go for it," was Yusei's simple answer. What did either of them have to lose? She reached out and ran her hand over his tempered forearms. The girl may have very well died and gone to heaven, since the feel was like that of an angel.

"This feels smooth and refined," the student analyzed. "Sleek and cozy too."

"Interesting set of words," Yusei theorized. "But you can say what you want."

"Then I'm saying that I want to lie down for a while," Luna announced. "And I'd like it if you could be my pillow."

"Why not? I see no problem with that," the scientist replied. He patted his leg and Luna moved further down, so that her head would rest in Yusei's presence. She opened her eyes to see Yusei's eyes looking down at her.

"How do you feel?" he surveyed her.

"Like my head is floating on air," she sighed contently. "Like there's not a care in the world." The young scientist smiled at this and ran his ungloved hand over and through her hair. It created that goose-bump sensation where the body was in a state of nirvana.

"His touch is so addicting and caring at the same time," she thought. "Now I have to get him to hold me or something along those lines."

_You can cut the tension with a knife in this story. There's only so much Luna can take before she acts and tries to kiss him. Still, I put this chapter under "somewhat filler." Who disagrees? Review if you wish, but only positive and/or constructive feedback. Shoot some suggestions if you have any._


	7. Chapter 7

_Curious again: chapter 6 was a bust._

Now it had entered Luna's second day in the city and she was still trying to make sense of her newfound feelings for this older and more multi-faceted version of Yusei. She had also grown to adore whenever she got to touch him in any way. All these factors had managed to shape a dream while she slept.

In this dream, Luna had returned to her former home at the Tops. There wasn't anything to be found inside the penthouse, except for one thing: a lone framed picture of the two at a cotillion of some sort. Luna was dressed as the maid of honor and she had chosen Yusei to dance with her. The image then came alive and the two were doing a waltz in perfect harmony. At the end of the dance, applause congratulates the two for executing a perfect waltz. Luna looks into Yusei's eyes, he looks into hers, and they throw caution to the wind and start to close the gap between their faces. Right before their lips meet, the dream stopped and it was back to reality.

* * *

><p>"Wha-what happened?" Luna gasped, sitting up alertly in her bed, only to realize her fantasy finished without an end. "Oh, it was only a dream." She slammed her pillow with her fist in frustration. Very seldom this girl showed displeasure in anything, let alone in romance. Reluctantly, she stepped out of bed and out of her room, only to discover a note on the wall in front of her.<p>

"Luna, it's decent enough outside to open the hot tub for a bit," it read. "It's only going to be a few degrees cooler than yesterday, but I figured you might need something to relax your frayed nerves. Offer's only good 'til eleven a.m. Signed, Yusei."

"A few degrees cooler makes me feel so much better about this heat," the young woman scoffed sarcastically. "Still, if Yusei's gonna be in there with me, maybe I can show off how I've changed physically when we all left New Domino." She dipped back inside her room to contemplate a plan.

* * *

><p>With just under an hour until the heat would start cranking up again, Yusei had opened the tub up and took advantage of the bubble jets to soothe his muscles.<p>

"I needed this," he sighed in relaxation over the whirring of the motor. "I sure hope Luna gets up soon." As the bubbling continued to work its magic outside, the college student stepped inside the kitchen, body concealed by a pale green towel, starting to have second thoughts.

"What if this doesn't work? Would he think any different of me?" she quavered mentally. "No, I have to take advantage of this. He's opened his tub to me, and just maybe I can open his heart." Luna gently reeled the sliding door open and treaded out on the deck.

"There she is," Yusei greeted her. "I was hoping you weren't going to sleep too late."

"Yeah, well, I try not to sleep too late into the morning," she minced weakly, fumbling the towel between her hands.

"Aren't you gonna come in?" the scientist quizzed her.

"I'm kinda nervous about this," she admitted. "I'm not as hesitant when I did this at school with my friends."

"And you're saying we're not friends?" he asked again, eyebrow cocked.

"No, no, no, quite the opposite," Luna assured him. "It's just….I'm still trying to get used to being around you after all this time."

"Well, you know me," Yusei vocalized. "It's up to you if you want to come in. I won't think any less of you if you refuse."

"I do want to, but I hope you don't feel uncomfortable seeing me…almost uncovered," the girl confessed.

"I've looked danger in the face countless times and saved the world twice," the scientist reminded her. "I think I'll be fine sharing a dip with you." Realizing his logic couldn't be disproven, she dropped her towel to reveal a figure, shaped by British influence, almost as perfect as a runway model's.

"What do you think?" she asked of her body that was covered in a two piece tie-dye bikini.

"My (ahem) goodness," the young scientist cleared his throat. "That timid and innocent but sweet girl has become a sophisticated and mature young woman."

"You mean that?" she blushed. Yusei's head nodded "yes" in response.

"That means a lot coming from you," Luna sang, dipping her feet, then body into the bubbling water.

"Well, I don't know about it being like that," the scientist tried to dismiss her notion. "But I'm not one to hold my tongue when I see something I like. Since you wowed me with how you look now, the least I could do was tell you what I think of you now."

"Still, it was nice of you to say that," the college girl told him. "On a different note, I have an idea for something we can do in here."

"What would that be?" Yusei questioned her.

"Truth or Dare," she answered with an air of confidence.

"You're on," he smirked with the same confidence. "Ladies first, though."

"Very well: truth or dare?" she questioned her friend.

"Hmm….truth," he quipped.

"If you could make a movie out of any event in your life, what would you choose?" Luna picked out of thin air.

"I'd have my effort to retrieve my runner and meeting you and your brother translated to the silver screen," Yusei summarized.

"Tell me why," the girl requested.

"Getting my runner back required a lot of waiting and me having to get a temporary new identity," he listed. "Plus, I got chased by the cops and crashed after that duel, where you and Leo found me."

"I'd pay to see that movie," the girl announced.

"Good to know, now it's my turn," the older male voiced. "Truth or dare?"

"I think I'll go truth too," Luna eyed.

"What were you thinking when you learned your abroad thing was bringing you home?" Yusei quizzed her.

"I was ecstatic," she revealed. "I was eager to see everything that had changed or remained in eight years. Plus, I knew that I wanted to see you again, but this….this is even better."

"I'm glad to hear that," Yusei commented.

"Time for Round 2," the girl tittered. "What's it gonna be?"

"I'll go dare this time," he selected. This was the perfect chance to gain some serious ground and perhaps test the waters.

"Close your eyes and you'll find out," she asked of him. Sure enough, his eyelids covered the blue gems that were his eyes and leaned in, her lips stopping mere millimeters before his.

"I won't kiss him here now," she pondered. "That can wait." She rotated over to his left and gently pecked where his criminal mark streamed right out from under his eye.

"Thank you, for everything," Luna whispered.

_Hopefully this makes up for the mess that Ch. 6 could be perceived as. How do you all think the "truth or dare" thing fit into this part? Review if you wish on this chapter and the previous one. Why are some chapters becoming hit or miss? Someone please tell me._


	8. Chapter 8

_Hopefully this chapter adds some depth._

The hot tub was closed up and the two decided to call it quits on their Truth-or-Dare game. Even with only a round and a half of play, Luna felt that she accomplished plenty with Yusei. She felt her decision on kissing him where she did was the right call. In a way, that kiss was her way of saying "thanks for everything" in a direct and sincere way. After all, Yusei did so much for his friends and didn't once ask for anything in return. A humanitarian, of sorts, would best describe him. The girl was thinking that his generosity shouldn't go unnoticed anymore.

* * *

><p>The afternoon came just as fast as the morning left. The pair went off on separate ventures inside the house: Luna reading one of the books she brought along and Yusei doing some more computer work to pass the time. As she sat at the kitchen table, thumbing through each page as she finished them and dressed in a sky blue camisole and dark leggings, she was still stuck on her "intimate" interaction with Yusei.<p>

"If he was awestruck when he saw my body, then maybe it's been a lot longer when he probably had a girlfriend than he's letting on," the young woman hypothesized. "That could be it, but I won't know until I look into it." She felt a small rumble vibrate from her stomach and realized she was hungry.

"Never set out on a mission on an empty stomach," Luna told herself, standing up and strolling to the refrigerator. "I'm sure he won't mind if I pillage from his fridge. After all, he opened this place up to me." After moving her head around for a bit, she came across a filled bowl of grapes and berries.

"This'll do," she concluded, pulling the container out.

* * *

><p>The bowl was cleaned out gradually over the course of an hour. The girl wasn't one to say no to fruit, but the college diet was more salty, stale, and unhealthy. So she was pleased to see something fresh and healthy in front of her face. But that didn't distract her from her objective of learning more about Yusei of the past eight years. Once Luna found a good stopping point in her novel, she bookmarked it, set it down, and stood up to find her friend. The staircase may as well been a hundred steps instead of fifteen.<p>

"I have to do this," she told herself, taking that first step up.

Fourteen long and nerve-wracking steps later, the young woman silently stood outside his office. It was quiet that she could hear the typing of the keyboard.

"Come on, it'll be just you two in that room, no one else," she thought to herself. "Go on." Gingerly, she extended her arm and knocked on his open door.

"Come in," Yusei answered, still typing away.

"Um….hi," Luna greeted him meekly. "Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all," the scientist answered. "I can actually rest my hands for a bit. What's on your mind?"

"I'm hoping to apologize if you were uncomfortable with me earlier this morning," she confessed. "Especially with the kiss."

"Relax, it's no big deal," he waved off. "I kind of….enjoyed it."

"You…did?" the college girl pondered aloud, dumbstruck.

"There's nothing to worry about," the older man reassured her. "It brightened me up, if you want to think of it like that."

"In that case, when was the last time you had any intimate encounters with a woman?" Luna asked right to the point.

"What was that?" Yusei questioned right back.

"How long's it been since you were around a woman?" she shortened her question.

"Oh boy," he breathed in discomfort. "That's….uh…."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry infinity," the girl tried to apologize quickly. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay."

"It's okay, it's okay," he tried to reassure her again. "Just let me think this over for a second." He leaned back in his chair, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Well?" the young woman eagerly quizzed, wanting an answer.

"Let me put it this way: my last date would have to be about a month ago," Yusei summarized. "But my last meaningful relationship was four to five years ago."

"You're kidding, right?" Luna tried to downplay what she heard.

"I don't kid around," the guy retorted with a straight face.

"Then why's it been so long?" the young woman wanted to know. "And who was she?"

"It was our last receptionist, not that soulless shell we have now," he recounted. "She was fairly close to my age at the time, maybe about one to two months younger than me."

"How'd you guys get together?" Luna inquired.

"One day, she was having computer problems and I just happened to be walking through the lobby when she gave up trying to fix it herself," the scientist continued. "She called me over; I fixed it up, and wanted to thank me by inviting me to some kind of party."

"Did you go?"

"Yeah. It was some kind of mixer thing. I saw her there, we hit it off, and next thing I knew, I left that party with a woman clinging to my arm."

"What was the problem that caused you two to call it off?" the girl asked.

"We saw each other whenever we could outside of work," the man continued to recount. "Unbeknownst to me, her receptionist job wasn't going to last. She was working to pursue a career in acting."

"How'd you take it when she told you?" Luna continued her inquiry.

"It was more of a mutual decision on her part, but we both thought it was for the best," Yusei explained. "Still, it kind of left a lasting sting in my heart. This girl was my best shot at love outside of Akiza."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she tried to add her input.

"I moved on as best I could," he sighed. "My job helped me a lot. After the split, my workload distracted from what I had and then lost. It's because of my job that I haven't found the time to find another girlfriend." Hearing Yusei's story almost made Luna's heart melt. The least he deserved for doing all he did was at least another chance at love.

"You will get a better chance at love," she announced with confidence. "I'm sure of it." Luna leaned down and wrapped her arms around him to show she wasn't kidding.

"Let's hope it might be me," she told herself.

_I'm sorry for making the fans of this story wait, but I originally didn't plan it like this. I based Yusei's story from me being in the same position with my then-girlfriend. This happened more than a day ago and I figured this could play into the story. Even though it was mutual, I now know what I'm missing out on when I see other couples. Anyway, review if you choose on how you think the story is now. If you think I can improve, tell me. I'm always open to ideas._


	9. Chapter 9

_It's hot outside._

Luna left Yusei to his work so she could digest his story. Even though it was one of those "loved than lost" stories, she still felt like he deserved better. He tried to have a life outside of his job. Maybe, just maybe, Luna could be his answer. Granted, even with a sizeable age difference, the young woman believed too that Yusei was her best shot. Even with that mindset, there was still one flaw that could prove to be costly. If the two should not become more than friends, Luna's standard for the perfect boyfriend will be set too high. So many of her college friends repeatedly told her to never settle when it comes to love and romance.

* * *

><p>While the college girl resumed to reading her book (which was a romance novel, oddly enough), Yusei continued to type away on his computer. Already knee-deep, the phone next to his computer rang.<p>

"Yusei's phone, Yusei speaking," he greeted the caller. "Say what? Yeah…..yeah…..I'll take it." He put it back, leaned back in thought, and stewed over what he just heard. This new opportunity could very well bring him and Luna closer than before, but could equally make things awkward between them. The scientist stood up and carefully treaded down the stairs to find his female charge.

"Hey, uh…Luna, you got a minute?" he poked his head into the kitchen.

"What do you need?" she questioned back eagerly.

"One of my colleagues just called to ask if I could take his dinner reservation scheduled for tonight," the scientist brought up.

"I don't follow," the girl stated.

"This guy had a reservation all set up for him and the woman he asked to join him," Yusei elaborated. "But this woman just cancelled on him and he didn't want this reservation to go to waste. So he called me to see if I wanted to use it."

"Go on," she wanted him to continue.

"I said yes and he assumed that I had someone to go with," the scientist continued. "He was halfway right, but I wanted to see if you wanted to join me tonight."

"Is this supposed to be a date or something?" Luna wondered.

"Between two good friends," Yusei clarified. "So what do you say?" The girl couldn't believe what she heard: Yusei was asking _her_ out, of all people. She had to resist the urge to scream like a fan girl.

"Um…sure," she squeaked, trying to hold back her excitement. "What else do I need to know?"

"It's a posh place, so you want to look your best," he filled her in. "And there's an hour and a half before the reservation expires."

"Plenty of time," she whispered while backing away. "Plenty."

* * *

><p>One hour had elapsed since Yusei informed her of this "date." Fortunately, he found a decent point in his work to stop. After sprucing up and donning a modest suit, he paced back and forth at the bottom of the staircase, waiting for Luna to come down. Just as he was about to walk up, Yusei heard footsteps slowly protruding from the top floor.<p>

"Is that you, Luna?" he pondered. No answer came as she slowly stepped into view, wearing a beguiling dress. It was a sparking and sky blue strapless dress that clung to her upper body and sported a v-cut that showed off her lower left leg. Her heels nearly resembled the glass slippers of Cinderella fame, only these weren't actually glass. Her face was completely smooth and free of any blemishes to the naked eye. Her hair had a glossy sheen to it, some of it extended over her shoulders, and Luna went as far to add mystery by brushing some of it over to partially cover her left eye.

"All I can say is….wow," Yusei commented in awe. Luna looked utterly and undeniably elegant for her age.

"Thank you," she answered in a soft tone. "Shall we go now?"

"Um….yes," Yusei stammered, still in shock over how scintillating his female compatriot looked. He guided her to his car and they were off.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes more had elapsed when the two made it to their destination, which was a high-end restaurant where the city's elite made it a place to be seen. They checked in and were among the hustle and bustle.<p>

"I don't remember this place," Luna pointed out.

"I think it's been here three or four years," Yusei tried to verify. "This place is primarily used as a backdrop for business deals. I can almost guarantee that some of the city's new features were agreed upon in this building."

"That's interesting," she commented, peering through the menu. They didn't have to wait long for their entrées; Yusei got a perfectly broiled Kobe steak and Luna received a seared salmon fillet. While they enjoyed their dinner, they traded a few stories about what they did in the eight years away from each other.

"That was good," Luna hiccupped with a salmon fillet in her stomach. "Thank you for bringing me with you."

"You're quite welcome," Yusei replied after handing off his credit card to the waiter. "I had fun with you."

"I know he likes me, but I think he could be hinting at something deeper," she thought. "There's only way to find out." The check was brought out, Yusei signed it, left a tip, and they set off to return home.

* * *

><p>Under the cover of night, Yusei's car zoomed through the streets and into shelter where it would stand until further notice. Once the car was set into "park," the scientist exited the car first and rolled around to open Luna's door, just like before.<p>

"Thank you again," the college girl told him as she grasped hands with him to stand up.

"A gentleman always tends to his date's needs," he rhapsodized. Their hands remained locked together until they were inside after the alarm system was turned off.

"Yusei, it's going to be hard for me to tell you what's going through my mind after tonight," Luna began to confess.

"Well, say it however you feel will get your point across effectively," the man surmised. "I think I'll understand it."

"I know you will," the young woman said, brushing the hair out of her eye. She breathed in, then wrapped her arms around Yusei's neck and pressed her lips against his. For only half a second, he was apprehensive but fell under Luna's spell. The lip massage continued for sixty seconds before the two separated for air.

"That's how I feel," she licked her lips.

"I like it," scientist quipped.

"Good to know," the girl winked before putting her head under Yusei's chin. "Good to know." She could hear his heart beat while Yusei ran his fingers over her exposed back, causing shivers.

_Dramatic fanfare please. The kiss between Luna and Yusei has happened. I'm sorry if I couldn't be any more specific. If you think the story should take a more sensual turn, let me know. Review if you wish. On a side note, the subbed version of 5D's movie is up for views. I've seen it. Just punch in the English title on YouTube and sort by upload date. Despite it being mirrored and split into 5 parts, it's still good._


	10. Chapter 10

_I'm sorry that Ch. 9 ended on the kiss._

"Hey, uh...Yusei?" Luna whispered to break the silence.

"Yeah?" the scientist questioned back.

"Where do you and I stand in this...relationship?" she wondered.

"I'd probably say openly romantic, if that makes sense," he surmised. "We're still good friends, but also testing the waters as a couple."

"That's good enough for now," the young woman guessed. "What do we do now?"

"Judging by the time, I should hit the sack," Yusei noted. "I don't know about you."

"Can I...sleep in your bed tonight?" she requested timidly, placing her palm on his chest. "Please?" The college girl looked up at him with the innocent eyes that are known to melt hearts.

"With that look, all I can say is yes," he gave in, stroking her cheek with his left index finger. Luna beamed at this and leaned in to peck Yusei's lips a second time. Soon after, she felt her feet leave the ground, as Yusei had lifted her off the ground, bridal style, with one hand in the crook of her knees and the other slung under her right arm.

"Careful now," she reminded him as he hobbled to and up the stairs, being mindful to not drop his new "arm candy" and not trip over his own feet. Once they were on the second floor, Yusei put her down gently in front of her door.

"I'll wait for you while you find something comfortable to sleep in," he hummed to her. Luna giggled at this and winked at Yusei before slipping into her room.

"I think this'll be good for me," he predicted in his head.

* * *

><p>Once his suit was off and he was back in his recognizable muscle shirt, Yusei was leafing through a science fiction novel (go figure), a knock came rapping at his door. And just like that, Luna strutted her way inside, wearing nothing but a silky nightgown pullover, same color as her dress, which stopped right above her knees. Compared to the dress, it was loose all around and it was held up by thin spaghetti straps.<p>

"Do you like what you see?" she purred questionably.

"Mm-hmm," Yusei gulped, setting his book on the nightstand to his right. "Mm-hmm."

"Just be sure to keep your eyes on my face," Luna pointed out, slipping under the bedspread to his left. "It feels good in here."

"Glad you think so," the scientist quipped, switching the lamp off.

"I don't want to go to sleep right now," the college girl playfully whined.

"What do you want to—" Yusei's thought was cut short when Luna locked her lips over his and twirled her legs around Yusei's left leg. In the dark, where the only sounds heard were crickets chirping and frogs croaking, Luna and Yusei were more than content to journey around each other's mouths and occasionally explore parts of their heated bodies. For how long this went on, they had no idea and could care less.

* * *

><p>Morning came in quietly and the sun shone through the bedroom windows to reveal a smiling and sleeping Luna using part of Yusei's upper arm as a pillow. To her right, Yusei still had his eyes closed and his black flame hairstyle was still somewhat recognizable. To both their dismay, a ringing broke the peaceful silence they were lying in.<p>

"Get the phone, somebody," he muttered, trying to stay asleep. His voice jarred Luna from her slumber, but she didn't mind at all. She lightly kissed his forehead and reached over to answer the phone.

"Hello?" the young woman yawned. "Yes...um…okay...sure...I'll tell him." She hung up the phone and looked down at the snoozing Yusei.

"I'll tell him when he wakes up," she thought, lying back on Yusei.

* * *

><p>The silence came back and the embracing pair slept in for a short while more. It was a given that Yusei assumed Luna answered the phone. It was what she agreed for him to that would change things. When his internal clock went off, he unfurled his joints, producing a few cracking sounds.<p>

"Someone's awake," Luna chimed in. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," the scientist groaned. "Much better than in recent memory. Maybe that's 'cause of you."

"I like the sound of that," the college girl tittered. "By the way, when the phone rang and I answered it for you, I inadvertently signed you up for a Turbo Duel against an interesting opponent."

"Who?" Yusei asked, standing up.

"My brother," Luna confessed. "His agent had scheduled his first pro league match against Jack today in New Domino. However, for one reason or another, Jack had to pull out of the match and rather than cancel the match, Leo wanted this to be his rematch against you, after you two dueled in the Tops all those years ago."

"Okay..." the guy commented, taken off-guard for a second. "I say 'Bring it on.'" This match was going to be difficult on the girl. Who did she want to win: her brother or her lover? After they dressed, fueled up at breakfast, and hopped on Yusei's runner, she was going to get her answer.

* * *

><p>One thing that did remain after eight years was the duel track where Yusei had dueled Jack twice and Team 5D's began their journey in the grand prix. This would be appropriate as Leo would showcase his new and improved skills against one of the duelists he looked up to. They got to the garage area where last minute check-ups could be applied. While Yusei looked over his ride and Luna watched up close, they heard a familiar and more collected voice.<p>

"Just like old times, huh?" the voice greeted them. Luna turned her head to see her brother standing there with his helmet in his left hand. Her spirit lifted and she leapt over to squeeze the living daylights out of him.

"I can't believe you're here, Leo," she squealed, still hugging him tightly.

"I can't believe you have the grip of a constrictor," the male twin wheezed before Luna released her grip.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly.

"It's cool," Leo coughed. "Where's Yusei?" His sister pointed to where the iconic red vehicle stood, being touched up. He smirked and stepped over to say a few words to his opponent.

"Knock knock," he opened the joke.

"Who's there?" the scientist played along, looking up.

"The next duel champion," Leo boasted confidently. "And this time's gonna be different."

_The gauntlet has been thrown: Yusei vs. Leo, Round 2. Who'll emerge as the victor? This is how I intended for Leo to play a role in this story. Good or not good? And don't worry about my "attempt" at Luna and Yusei's love scene; the rating change should cover that. I'll try to get the duel underway before August starts. Anyway, review if you choose and stay tuned for the duel. Check out my crossover if you want a current match._


	11. Chapter 11

_Ancient Egyptians say "Diaha!" in this scenario._

As Leo made a few practice laps around the duel track, Yusei finished up his modifications on his runner. Once his helmet was on and he boarded his ride, Luna stood by, silent and not looking at him.

"Is everything all right?" the scientist questioned her.

"I'm conflicted about who I want to win," she confessed. "I mean, anytime I see you duel, I want you to win, but I also want Leo to grow as a duelist. I just don't know who to root for..."

"Then just watch the duel," Yusei suggested. "Playing favorites between people close to you never turn out well. I'm not really concerned if you root for me or for your brother. I won't pass judgment on you if you do root for Leo. All I'm here to do is answer the challenge and go for the gold." His wisdom lifted a huge weight off of Luna's conscience; nothing was going to change between them. What she did have to figure out, however, was how to break the news to her brother that she was romantically interested in Yusei. Right as he turned his ride on and set his helmet visor down, Luna skipped over and gingerly kissed his left cheek.

"For luck," the young woman whispered. Yusei nodded affirmatively and he sped out onto the track.

"He always knows how to make things better," she thought to herself. "That's what makes him great."

* * *

><p>Out on the track, Leo was on his last pace lap as Yusei waited patiently at the starting line. The excitement pulsating from the crowd was electric. They were emotionally invested in dueling; just like any sport, dueling had its unique and gifted combatants, intricate storylines from each match, and non-stop action. The male twin circled back and stood, ready for the green light.<p>

"Let's hope you haven't lost your touch," Leo gloated. "If I want to be the best, I gotta beat the best."

"Your high confidence hasn't been lost," Yusei reminded him. "But it's going to take more than trash talk to win this duel." The countdown sensor started to count from ten to one and Speed World 2 was set in motion. The green light shone and both riders zoomed toward the first turn. They alternated between first and second a few times before Leo barely edged out Yusei for the first move.

"Looks like I'm first," the male twin surmised, drawing to hold six cards. "I'll kick things off with Morphtronic Radion!" Out of a blue vortex came what appeared to be a standard radio, but it quickly detached in several places to resemble a robot.

"Still with the Morphtronics?" Yusei questioned.

"You know it," Leo confirmed. "And with this guy out in attack mode, all Morphtronics gain 800 attack points." The new-looking radio surged in a yellow glow as its strength increased to 1,800.

"I'm gonna have to be careful," the scientist gauged to himself. "He's definitely improved from before."

"I'll put two cards face-down and leave it at that," the male twin concluded.

"In that case, my move," Yusei spoke while drawing his sixth card and gaining one speed counter with Leo. "Here comes Max Warrior." In front of his ride appeared a stoutly armored warrior holding a double-pronged staff.

"I ain't scared o' that!" Leo teased. "Both monsters are equal in strength!"

"They won't be when Max Warrior attacks!" the older duelist declared, sending his monster into battle. "Just so you know, Max Warrior gains 400 points during an attack." The monster raised its staff, ready to smash Leo's radio.

"I'm still ready for it, courtesy of Morphtransition!" the younger duelist countered, flipping one trap face-up. "Not only is your attack negated, but it switches Radion into defense mode." The staff stopped millimeters from the now defensive radio.

"Looks like I'll have to settle for a face-down card," he concluded his turn.

"Nothing yet," Luna thought to herself, standing from the sidelines. "But I know things will pick up soon."

"My turn then," Leo stated, drawing for four cards and holding two speed counters along with Yusei. "Here comes Morphtronic Scopen!" Next to the radio came a microscope that sprouted arms and grew a face.

"Since my scope is out in attack mode, I can summon another Morphtronic from my hand," he explained, placing another card on the field. "Like Slingen!" Next was a mechanized slingshot that became another robot.

"Nothing I can't handle," Yusei thought to himself.

"Next, I return Radion to attack mode, which increases all my monsters' strength by 800 points each," Leo continued. "Now Slingen goes after Max Warrior!" The slingshot loaded up a shot and launched it at Yusei's monster, destroying it and decreasing his score to 3,800.

"Now Scopen and Radion attack you directly!" he hollered as his monsters vaulted for his life points. Luna held her breath as she saw her lover face over 3,000 points of damage.

"By discarding Swift Scarecrow from my hand, I can avoid the rest of the battle for this turn," Yusei explained as he dropped a card into his graveyard.

"Then I'll turn my attention to your face-down card," the male twin uttered. "With Slingen's effect, I'll trade in Radion to destroy it!" He sneered as he loaded up his slingshot with the radio and hurled it at the face-down card.

"That's one more worry out of the way," he breathed.

"That's what you think," Yusei clucked, pulling a card from his deck and playing it. "Since the card you destroyed was Limiter Overload, I can now summon Speed Warrior from my deck." The shattered pixels of the trap regrouped and formed the monster, kneeling down defensively.

"If we're special summoning now, then allow me to up the ante," Leo went on, sending his monsters to the graveyard. "Since my Slingen was going to be destroyed when my turn's over, I'll use it in a Synchro Summon!" Both machines disappeared in a stream of green light, bringing out a new monster.

"I'd like to reacquaint you with Power Tool Dragon!" he bellowed as the large toy dragon roared into play.

"How could I forget that?" the scientist recounted.

"Then you might want to forget this," Leo interrupted, playing his other trap. "It's known as Power Burst: when Power Tool Dragon is successfully Synchro Summoned, I can destroy one face-up monster on your field and inflict 500 points of damage to you. However, if said monster has 1,000 attack points or less, then you get hit for damage equal to that monster's strength instead." Yusei tried to shield himself as Leo's trap surged through Speed Warrior and slammed his score down to 2,900.

"I'll put one card face-down and call it a turn," he concluded.

"He needs to summon a monster to fend off Power Tool Dragon," Luna assessed. "He also needs to start dishing out some damage. Come on..."

"You have gotten better," Yusei admitted, getting ready to draw. "And that's what I was hoping for."

_Even though this duel is only three turns deep, it's gained enough action to this point. Only one fictional card (Power Burst) used thus far. When the second part comes, there could be more. What do you all think of how I made Leo's skills now? Review if you choose to and stay tuned for the next part._


	12. Chapter 12

_The month of August has arrived._

"I need a game-changer here," Yusei thought to himself, staring at his deck. "I can't just resort to defending myself. If I do, Leo might summon another monster to attack directly." He positioned his right hand on top, ready to draw.

"Hurry up and draw!" the male twin barked from his runner impatiently. The scientist didn't answer back with his voice; he let his cards do the talking, now holding four cards and three speed counters along with the kid.

"By discarding a monster card from my hand, I can summon Quickdraw Synchron to the field," Yusei explained as a pistol wielding robot levitated into play. "Next I activate Quillbolt Hedgehog's ability: if a tuner is out on the field, I can also summon it to the field." Beside his tuner monster appeared a standard a hedgehog, only sporting bolts out of its back instead of quills.

"I remember this combo," Leo recounted. "Two monsters summoned for practically nothing."

"Then do you remember this?" his opponent asked as Quickdraw and the rodent disappeared in a green light. "I Synchro Summon Junk Archer!" The light scattered, in favor for a hastily-armored archer with a life-size arrow.

"Give me your best shot!" the male twin gloated.

"You asked for it," Yusei responded while his archer fired its arrow at Power Tool Dragon and made it vanish. "With Junk Archer's effect, I can remove a monster from your field 'til the end phase of this turn. Now my archer attacks you directly!" The monster lined up another shot and launched its arrow, straight for Leo's ride.

"Please be safe," Luna hoped for her brother.

"Guess again," Leo revealed slyly as Quickdraw Synchron materialized onto his field and took the hit from Junk Archer. The boy's life points remained untouched.

"What'd you do just now?" Yusei questioned.

"It's a trick I picked up from Jack," the male twin explained, flipping his trap card up. "As soon as you played Junk Archer, I used Tuner Capture to snare your monster to my side of the field and shield myself from your attack."

"Impressive," the scientist complimented his young foe. "That's a professional move."

"I think you'll find I'm full of tricks," he quipped cleverly.

"In that case, I'll put one card face down and end my turn," Yusei concluded.

"And since it's the end phase, Power Tool Dragon returns to the field," Leo reminded him as his dragon reappeared from out of nowhere.

"While Leo seems to be perfectly anticipating each move against him, Yusei doesn't look the least bit rattled," Luna analyzed to herself. "But what's it going to take for him to win?"

"My turn," the younger duelist interrupted, drawing to hold two cards and accumulate four speed counters, same as Yusei. "And time for a power boost." He snatched a card from his hand and placed it in an open spell slot.

"With Speed Energy, I can add 200 attack points to a monster on my field for every speed counter I have," he continued as his dragon was surrounded by a bright yellow glow, surging with more power as its strength jumped to 3,100. "Now the attack!" The mechanical dragon roared and hurled its steam shovel at Junk Archer, smashing it along with 800 of Yusei's life points.

"I play Miracle's Wake!" the scientist countered as his trap flipped up. "Since a monster was destroyed in battle this turn, I can bring it back." The trap card opened a portal and Junk Archer climbed back out into play.

"That thing won't stay down," Leo commented. "If I can't bring it down, I'll use Speed World 2 instead." His speed counters decreased to zero and a beam of energy fired at Yusei, reducing his score to 1,300.

"Oh no," Luna gasped.

"That's all for now," the male twin breathed to end his turn. At this point in the duel, either the crowd was stunned to see Yusei struggling or amazed that Leo was performing well.

"Here goes," the scientist grunted, drawing to hold two cards and five speed counters while Leo got one counter. "I play the speed spell, Angel Baton; now I can draw two cards and discard one." He pulled two cards from his deck and discarded the other one was still left over.

"Remember that this is your best opportunity that lay down some serious hurt," the male twin summarized.

"I know that," Yusei answered, placing a monster card into play. "And Effect Veiler's gonna help." He snapped his fingers once, signaling Junk Archer to shoot Power Tool Dragon out of play.

"Now I tune my archer with Effect Veiler!" he bellowed as his monsters faded away in a green light. "I bring out Stardust Dragon!" From a shimmer of sparkles appeared his signature dragon.

"Long time no see, Stardust," Leo zinged.

"He still has a chance," Luna gauged from the sidelines.

"Next up is Silver Contrails," Yusei added, playing the last card in his hand. "With five speed counters to my name, Stardust Dragon gains a thousand attack points 'til the end of my turn." The frail looking beast gained more muscle as its strength rose to 3,500.

"I did not see this coming," the male twin squeaked.

"Go Stardust Dragon!" the scientist commanded his monster. It built a ball of energy in its maw and blasted it straight towards Leo.

"Be gentle," the female twin mouthed from afar. The male twin held up an arm to shield himself from the attack, but he could only hold off so much of it as his life points plummeted to 500.

"My turn's over," Yusei exhaled calmly. In one fell swoop, the tide of the duel for Yusei went from "underdog" to "come-from-behind." After all, champion duelists don't go down easily.

"And just like before, Power Tool Dragon comes back," Leo coughed as his machine faded back into reality. "Now I draw." With only two cards in his hand and just two speed counters, it was going to take a massive effort to bring Stardust to its knees and he just drew it.

"Looks like all that effort bringing my score down was a waste," he sneered, placing a monster card in play. "Here comes Morphtronic Lantron!" A large and handheld lantern pixilated onto the field.

"I rarely use this next move," the male twin explained. "But with my score one blast away from dropping to zero, I have no other choice." The lantern turned into a green ring and surrounded Power Tool Dragon, revealing seven stars and creating a stream of light.

"Here's Life Stream Dragon!" the kid shouted as an actual breathing and realistic form of his toy dragon gleamed brightly. "Since it was successfully summoned, my life points return to full power!" The crowd buzzed in awe as the boy's life points went back up to 4,000.

"Not good," Yusei and Luna gulped in unison.

_How's that for a twist: just when Yusei has turned the tables on this duel, Leo turns them right back and gets all of his points back too. Can he actually do the unthinkable and unseat Yusei as a champion? Or will Yusei come back from the depths a second time and slay Life Stream Dragon? If the reviews heat up again, maybe I'll get to it sooner rather than later. Ball's in your court, peeps._


	13. Chapter 13

_Are you ready for some football?_

"Behold Life Stream Dragon in all its glory!" Leo yodeled for dramatic effort. "And here comes the wallop!" The beast hurled a golden-colored blast at Stardust.

"I play Shield Warrior's special ability!" Yusei countered, pulling a card out from his graveyard. "Just so you know what happened, I tossed it when I played Angel Baton last turn. Now my dragon can withstand this assault." The gold blast scattered around Yusei's dragon to simulate an almost successful attack.

"No matter, 'cause you're still taking damage!" the male twin seethed impatiently as Yusei's score decreased to 900. "That's all I have for now." The scientist gathered his bearings and readied himself to draw again.

"I'm not sure how much more I can take," Luna gasped in disbelief. "I didn't think Leo would be doing **this** well against Yusei."

"The kid still has a speed spell in his hand," Yusei listed as he drew to hold one card and six counters while Leo held three counters. "Unless he draws a second spell, I'm still in this." He took the card he just drew and activated it.

"I play a second Angel Baton," the older duelist revealed. "Now I can draw two cards but must discard one." It didn't take much thought for Yusei to know what he wanted to discard.

"I set one card face-down and end my turn," he concluded his move.

"Looks like I'm up then," Leo sneered, drawing to hold one card and four speed counters along with Yusei's seven. "Here comes Sonic Buster! Since I hold at least four speed counters, I can subtract half the attack points of a monster on your field from your life points." A sonic shockwave burst out the back of Yusei's dragon, straight for him.

"No…" Luna squeaked to herself.

"I activate Damage Eater's special ability!" the scientist countered, pulling yet another card from his graveyard.

"What's going on?" Leo demanded to know.

"With Damage Eater, it can change damage into more points just by removing it from play," he explained while a yellow nightmarish fiend absorbed the shockwave and reinforced Yusei's life points to 2,150. "You're not the only one who can regain points."

"Now you're about to lose points," the boy snapped as his dragon launched another attack.

"Why do you think I laid Scrap-Iron Scarecrow on the field?" Yusei questioned while his trap revealed a metal pole decked out in a pilot's outfit. "Now I can negate your attack and reset my trap." The blast fizzled out and the scarecrow went face-down at the end.

"Fine; I end my turn," Leo scoffed. The duel was starting to heat up again and Leo was starting to lose his patience. No matter what he tried, Yusei wouldn't go down.

"My draw," the scientist interrupted, drawing to hold one card and eight counters. "And with it, another comeback."

"Is that so?" the male twin quizzed.

"See for yourself," Yusei answered, playing the card he drew. "It's the Spirit Fusion speed spell; with eight speed counters, I can combine one monster on my field with another in my graveyard and summon a fusion monster." From out of nowhere, Junk Archer reappeared on the field and it, plus Stardust Dragon, ascended into the sky and out of view.

"What're you up to?" the boy surveyed.

"Just summoning Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste!" the scientist hollered in response as a bi-pedal dragon with a lance flourished from the heavens.

"That's a big dragon," Leo commented on the sheer size. He watched on as Yusei's monster hurled its lance at his dragon, clipping a wing, which resulted in its destruction and decreasing the boy's score to 3,600. The crowd, and Luna, started cheering for Yusei again.

"He's not down yet," the young woman beamed.

"My move then," the male twin growled. Along with six speed counters, he now held two cards in his hand. In his blind frustration, he forgot all about Draco's special effect.

"I play Speed World 2," he barked. "By sacrificing 4 counters, I can hit you for 800 points of damage per speed spell in my hand." Once his counters reached two, he held up The End of the Storm and his runner launched a bolt of energy straight for Yusei.

"Not happening," the older combatant parried as his dragon absorbed the bolt with its lance. "As long as Draco-Equiste stays out in attack mode, all effect damage aimed at me is reverted back to you." The lance charged up and fired the bolt back at Leo, bringing his score to 2,800.

"I'm still not stopping, and neither is Beginner Mechanic," the younger duelist wheezed. "By sending this card to my graveyard, I can re-summon any machine-type Synchro monster to my field. The downside is that the monster loses the abilities it has, plus its attack and defense points." Just as he explained, Power Tool Dragon stood back up and shielded its chest from harm.

"I'm done for now," he exhaled.

"Even though Leo's a much better duelist now, he still has to learn how to stay calm during a match," Luna gauged to herself. "All the while, Yusei's maintained his composure even when on the brink of defeat."

"It's my turn now," the scientist uttered, drawing to hold one card again, along with ten counters. "You had me on the ropes for a while, Leo. You really did."

"What now?" the boy asked confused.

"You threw your best at me right from the start and it took me a while to catch up," Yusei admitted. "Plus, your Life Stream Dragon also made things difficult. Alas, it just wasn't good enough." He took the card in his hand and placed it in an open slot.

"With Defense Buster, I can switch your dragon from defense mode to attack mode," the marked duelist explained as Power Tool Dragon held its arms out. "Now say goodbye." Draco lined up its lance and launched it, straight through Leo's last hope of winning. The mechanical beast fell apart and Leo's score dropped to zero. In this high-octane shootout of a duel, Yusei pulled out the victory after nearly falling apart midway through.

"That was unbelievable," Luna said in shock. "I almost thought he wasn't going to win." Once his victory sank in, she hopped up and down in celebration and ran down to the garage area to await her lover. Meanwhile, as Leo's ride stood to the side of the track, blasting steam in his face, Yusei rode up next to him after taking a victory lap.

"Don't see this loss as a negative," he spoke to the boy. "Even though I won, you put up a valiant effort and executed a few really good moves. I know you'll go far." He held his hand as a sign of good faith, to which Leo accepted. This provided photographic opportunities for the reporters covering this duel as the two were blinded by a barrage of flashes. The crowd still cheered as Yusei's name circled around the stadium.

_It has been decided: Yusei pulled victory out against a surprise tough opponent. I'm sorry for the duel having taken up three chapters. For those who added their input to the two previous parts, I thank you. For those who didn't, you just don't see good storytelling when it's right in front of you. Anyway, the next part will reveal Yusei and Luna's relationship to Leo. How will he take it? Review if you want and stay tuned to find out._


	14. Chapter 14

_If you can't beat the heat, stay inside._

When the camera flashes died down, the two duelists shared a laugh before they wheeled their runners back to the garage.

"I have to ask: what made Jack cancel on you?" Yusei wondered.

"It was either a promotional appearance or a party," Leo hypothesized. "That's what I've whittled it down to." No other words were exchanged once they reached the garage and found Luna waiting for them. The first one she strolled up to was her brother.

"You held your own against Yusei a lot better than I originally thought," the young woman complimented him. "I'm proud of you, regardless." She gave him a light hug to be sure he didn't suffer any whiplash from the duel. Then she turned her attention to Yusei and gave him a salacious look.

"Here it comes…" the scientist exhaled before the college girl squeezed him tightly and locked lips on his.

"What is this?" the male twin asked in shock. The embracing pair looked at each other and knew they had to spill the beans eventually.

"Um…Leo, remember that internship I told you about that got me and Yusei back together?" Luna posed nervously.

"Yeah," the up and coming champion replied.

"Well, we kind of progressed to an openly romantic level," she confessed. "I'm not sure what's next for us."

"I'm not sure what I can to make you feel more at peace with me and your sister being a couple and all," Yusei interjected.

"If it was anyone else with Luna, I'd be more apprehensive," Leo wavered. "However, since it's you, Yusei, I know I can trust you. I just have one question."

"Shoot," the marked man refuted.

"Didn't you and Akiza have a…thing for each other or something?" the male twin surveyed nervously. Luna looked up at her arm candy, wondering what he might say.

"I think there's still a part of me that wants to know what could've been had I told her what I really thought of her that night," Yusei explained. "That's not to say I'm settling for Luna. At this point, I'm thankful she's here. I've yet to find a major female influence in my life, and your sister may be the starting point."

"In any case, I believe you'll treat her right," Leo signed off verbally. "Yusei, you're one that puts the needs of others well above your own." The boy hopped back on his ride, gave a two finger salute to his sister and Yusei, and drove away.

"That went smoothly," Luna quipped to break the silence. The scientist just shrugged at this and the two sped off for home.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at a far-off hospital in Germany, a female doctor just entering her late twenties was scrolling through her computer in her office when she came across an article that caught her eye. It was titled <strong>New Domino savior pushed to the brink<strong>.

"What's this all about?" she wondered. "Yusei vs. Leo? This I have to read." She went through the rest of the article to learn that Yusei put on a show for the ages against a rising star in turbo dueling.

"He still hasn't lost his touch," the doctor mused with a smile. "And I'd love to see how Leo's performing as well." The metaphorical light bulb hovering over her head lit up and she picked up her office phone and pressed a single button.

"Hello?" a meek male voice answered.

"Sam, Dr. Izinski here," the woman replied. "Since you are our facility's human encyclopedia, I want you to do something a little different for me."

"That's what I'm here for," the voice squeaked back.

"I want you to track down a quality recording of the most recent duel that pitted Yusei Fudo against a boy named Leo," Akiza instructed.

"You got it ma'am," the voice confirmed her request before hanging up. The doctor rolled out of her chair and proceeded to look out her window over the extending land.

"What are you up to now, Yusei?" she pondered pensively.

* * *

><p>A New York art gallery was where the great Jack Atlas was spotted at. In his quest to become a better duelist than his friend and rival, Yusei, he traveled the world and met other duelists and celebrities, one of whom was an artist. This artist was also a fan of Jack's dueling style and wanted put his image on a canvas. While he strolled around the gallery, waiting for the unveiling, taking in the other multitudes of creativity, his Smart-phone went off in his blazer pocket. The caller ID displayed a familiar name: Crow.<p>

"What do you want?" the arrogant blonde snarled.

"Not even a hello?" the former tail Signer greeted on the other end.

"Just get to the point, if you will," Jack snorted back. "I'm at an art show."

"This won't take but a few moments," Crow assured him. "You know how you always say that you're the only that should defeat Yusei?"

"What about it?" Atlas fired back.

"Well, he came real close to being beat by Leo," the once thief revealed. "This article I'm reading says that Yusei kind of struggled out of the gate, but he worked his magic and came away with a win." It was as if something had set Jack off inside his mind. Rather than create a public explosion, he kept his cool the entire team.

"If he struggled against that kid, then he's either rusty or something entirely different," the proclaimed "king" answered.

"Why not rather say that Leo's a champion in the making?" Crow put out in the open.

"He is _not_ a champion yet," Jack growled. "His domination of the minor leagues means nothing. All I can say is that he got lucky." He clicked his phone off and went back to his task at hand.

* * *

><p>The sun had set on another day in New Domino. With Leo's stunning and almost explosive entrance into the big league of dueling, the citizens may have very well seen the birth of a new legend. Conversely, others were thinking why Yusei had trouble against the kid. As the scientist slept like a rock, Luna lied next to him in his bed with her eyes fixated on the TV. The city's dueling channel was bringing recap, analysis, and commentary of the day's match. The continuing tagline read, "Could Yusei have met his match?"<p>

"He's still number one to me," the young woman mouthed to herself. "Nothing will ever change that." She deftly threaded her fingers through his hair as she continued to watch television.

"Nothing," she emphasized.

_How did this chapter play out to you all? I ran out of plot elements after Leo found out about Yusei and Luna's relationship and decided to shift to other characters' reactions of the duel. Did I portray Akiza, Jack, and Crow effectively when they learned of the shootout? Review if you choose and I'll step away from this story for a short spell, just so I can let new ideas come to me. Stay cool, all._


	15. Chapter 15

_I'm averaging 4 reviews per chapter before this one._

Once Luna had seen enough 'disproportionate' media theories regarding Yusei's dueling style, she fell soundly asleep, not so much as inching away from her belief in him. Still, there were some questions left to be asked, but those would wait until the morning.

Daylight returned to the city, signaling yet another day. The first one to greet this day, not surprisingly, was Luna. She stretched her limbs out similarly to how a cat would. She rolled out of bed and slunk very gingerly over to Yusei's side. The young woman took a few seconds to take in how Yusei looked when he was asleep: calm, relaxed, and peaceful, as anyone else should.

"Sleep well," she breathed in a voice that could've been carried by the wind. She sealed the deal by brushing her lips over his temple like a feather. The college girl then quickly cleaned herself up, switched into a light workout outfit, and quietly stepped outside into the rain cooled environment to work in a few miles of jogging while Yusei continued to doze.

"It feels good out here," she echoed inside her mind. This also gave her a close-up opportunity to see what else was different in New Domino.

The girl was on the tail end of her jog when Yusei decided to wake up from his slumber. After all, considering the challenge he endured the day prior from Leo, it was understandable that he would want to get some shut-eye. When the guy discovered that Luna wasn't next to him, he didn't fly off the handle.

"She must be downstairs or maybe outside," Yusei yawned, uncurling his arms. "She can take care of herself." He wandered into his bathroom, washed his face off, and went through the arduous task of setting his hair into his signature black and gold-streaked flame. After it was set, he came down the stairs just as Luna came through the front door.

"Good morning," the scientist greeted her.

"Don't...scare me like that," she heaved, heart still racing. "Please?"

"Understood," he chuckled back. "There's something I still want to know." The two stepped into the kitchen and Luna took a seat while Yusei put on a pot of coffee and heated up a few breakfast sliders.

"These are hot, so watch out," the guy warned her as he set the plate and mugs on the table.

"I hear you, I hear you," she assured him, trying to cool down her drink. "Now, what did you want to know?"

"Your brother seemed strangely calm when you told him that you and I were together," Yusei recounted. "Care to explain?"

"It's a little thing called maturation," the girl pointed out. "My brother has excelled as a duelist and as a person. Both of us have."

"Well, when did he start 'maturing'?" the scientist quizzed his female charge.

"I guess it was when he committed himself to becoming a champion turbo duelist," Luna theorized. "Whenever I saw him training, and he trained _a lot_, Leo took on your mannerisms to see if that would work for him."

"And I assume it did?" he jumped the gun.

"Yes, but he also had and still has trouble with one key element," the girl continued. "Patience. You saw it during the duel. He's okay for a while during a match, but when it starts to drag out, he gets impatient."

"This has happened before?" Yusei questioned again.

"Plenty," Luna emphasized, taking a sip. "In the times when he has kept his cool, he's really good." All Yusei could do was nod as he took a slurp of his brew.

* * *

><p>Back at the hospital, Akiza could only tread through her shift, just wondering how Yusei's duel went down. The difference between reading something and actually seeing it happen was obvious: unless if left up to the imagination, one has to see it to believe it. She returned to her office after performing check-up after check-up to numerous patients. She enjoyed her job but it sometimes got repetitive, day in and day out. Upon opening her door, sitting on her desk was a DVD with a coded label on it. Automatically, Akiza knew what it was.<p>

"Sam, you are a lifesaver," the female doctor praised mentally. She closed her door and inserted the disc into her computer. She scrolled through the opening graphics and started viewing when Leo was talking smack to Yusei.

"If I want to be the best, I gotta beat the best," the boy said towards Yusei.

"His confidence hasn't changed," Akiza thought out loud. "But that's what I should expect of him." Through the first few turns, she saw how the kid got the jump on Yusei and chopped through over 1,000 of his life points in those first turns.

"How much has he improved?" she gauged to herself when Power Tool Dragon roared on her screen. The recording went on to show her Yusei summoning Junk Archer and Leo shielding himself with the Quickdraw Synchron used to summon it.

"He's really good," she gasped slightly. The duel progressed through the sequence where Leo took out 1,600 of Yusei's life points in two attacks.

"This is unbelievable," the doctor gasped again. "Leo must've been working his tail off for this." She got to the point where Stardust Dragon blasted the boy with 3,500 points of damage and he got them back with Life Stream Dragon.

"You gotta be kidding me," she scoffed in shock. "Yusei had him on the ropes with that attack." The next big break was when it looked as though Yusei would fall from Sonic Buster's effect, but he managed to reverse it from Damage Eater's effect.

"Never count him out," she beamed at the older turbo duelist. A closer zoom-in from the recording revealed Leo's impatience leaking out in the open. The match came up to Yusei whipping out Draco-Equiste and using its effect to reverse Speed World 2's burn ability. Up next was Leo trying to defend himself with Power Tool Dragon, but Yusei pulled the victory out with Defense Buster and one last attack from Draco.

"Where do those two go from here?" she wondered out loud again. "Then again, it's like the saying goes: never judge a book by its cover."

_Well, there you have it: I split this chapter with Luna explaining how Leo became a maturing duelist and Akiza seeing the duel from start to finish. For the sake of practicality, I had to cut parts of the match out to only include the major highlights. As for where Akiza stands in this story, I don't know if I should introduce her as a second plotline or not. Someone, anyone, I could use a rational explanation on this. I do realize by adding her, the story will run longer than I expected, which it already is. Anyway, review if you wish._


	16. Chapter 16

_I think I have another twist for you all._

The explanation regarding Leo's newfound sense of self reinforced the fact for Yusei that he wanted his friends to become better in anything other than Duel Monsters. He went over the story repeatedly in his head while typing away in his home office. Luna was somewhere else in the house and he didn't feel the need to bother her. However, it was a certain phone call from a close friend who felt that Yusei had some explaining to do that got to him. Not bothering to see whose number it was, the scientist mindlessly picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" he calmly answered the call.

"Who in the world are you trying to fool? 'Cause you're not fooling me," a familiar and arrogant voice yelled on the other end.

"Jack, how'd you get my number?" Yusei asked of his friend.

"I have people for that," the champion duelist quipped. "Anyway, what's all this I'm hearing about how you struggled against that half-pint of a duelist?"

"All right, maybe I did have a hard time dueling Leo," the scientist admitted. "But he's a much better competitor compared to eight years ago. I'm proud at how far he's come. We all should."

"Are you even seeing what I'm trying to tell you?" Atlas chipped back.

"I don't think so," Yusei guessed. "Tell me."

"People say a loss is a loss, no matter how you look at it," Jack waxed. "I beg to differ."

"I'm listening," the marked man affirmed.

"When I lost to you all those years ago, our match was no-holds barred," the blonde guy recounted. "Aside from the symbolic meaning it had, both of us wanted to win. Our skills were exactly alike."

"Is there any point to all this?" Yusei wondered.

"If you had lost to the kid, it would've devalued our rivalry since everyone would be saying that Leo is your 'kryptonite,'" Atlas continued. "Plus, it may have been ages since you had time to duel, what with all your science responsibilities and whatnot."

"Can't you just accept the fact that Leo has come along since we were all together?" the scientist quizzed.

"Crow told me the very same thing," Jack breathed. "Until he shows some sort of notable victory, he's just another duelist for me to defeat."

"If you say so," Yusei exhaled before putting down the phone on his desk. Not even a few keystrokes in until he heard a deft knock at the door. Who else would it be but Luna?

"I'm guessing Jack is steamed at you, huh?" she asked to get his attention.

"Yeah, but I'm not surprised," he brushed off the criticism. "He believes winning shouldn't out of the reach of champions."

"Still, how are you handling all this about you possibly being on the downside of your dueling career?" the girl wondered aloud.

"I'm not letting it get to me," Yusei said firmly. "Anyone can believe what they want to believe, but I know I still have plenty of fight left in me. I'm also not one to hold my tongue when I see future potential, like your brother."

"That's just like you: you see the best of each person inside," Luna breathed dreamily.

* * *

><p>In the skies above, a plane streaked in and out of the heavens, where a certain scarlet-haired doctor watched the world fly by in an instant.<p>

"I'm going to see firsthand if Yusei has or hasn't faltered in his quest," she thought to herself. "I hope he hasn't gotten soft."

* * *

><p>The scientist resumed to his monitoring duties from his office while Luna watched him from the floor. At times, she was so quiet that it was like she wasn't even there. A fly on the wall or owls on a tree branch were only the plausible comparisons.<p>

"How long have you been sitting there?" he asked to break the silence.

"I lost track," the young woman quickly answered.

"Is there any reason why you want to just….watch me?" Yusei questioned. "I mean it's not like I'm doing anything prudent right now."

"I know," the girl waved off. "But I want to see if this is true."

"See if what's true?" the guy mirrored back.

"If there's more to a person than just their personality or values," Luna theorized. "Spiritual attractiveness is a way to say it."

"We scientists have open minds," Yusei sided. "What does this mean?"

"What I see in you goes beyond your looks and your hand with a deck," she listed. "I now know why the Crimson Dragon bestowed the head mark to you: every battle you fight in, you refuse to throw in the towel. Your entire life was based on overcoming adversity at every turn and not even hesitating to help those in need. There all these movies about someone coming out of nowhere and changing the landscape. Underdogs always have a place in the hearts of many people, and that's where you are for me."

"I'm just someone who believes in the Golden Rule," the scientist summed up. "I don't think 'philanthropist' would apply to me. I'll just continue doing what I do: adding a helping hand where it's most needed." Luna fidgeted at Yusei's shrunken summary of what she told him.

"You always know what to say and how to say," the girl squeaked. Her words ran short and instead, she stood up, walked over to his chair, sat in his lap, and rapidly connected her mouth to Yusei's. He was taken off guard but let Luna do whatever she wanted to do. Inside her mind, she felt weightless in Yusei's embrace.

"How do you feel now?" she asked, lightly kissing his nose. Before he could even speak, the doorbell rang. Yusei slipped out of Luna's claws to see who it was. She watched from atop the stairs as he unlocked the door.

"Is it even possible that I could l—" Her thought was cut short when Akiza came through the front door.

"Oh boy," she gulped. "What do I do now?" How was this going to play out? Yusei had revealed he thought more of Akiza than just a friend and Luna was exploring what it was like with the same man.

_For those who wanted to see Akiza enter the main plot, there you go. I had to get this part up so I can watch some preseason football. I classify this part as "kind of weak." Who says otherwise? The next part won't come until after week one of the NFL preseason. Review if you wish. Stay tuned._


	17. Chapter 17

_Football has to come first._

"Weren't expecting to see me, were you?" the female doctor winked, standing less than a foot from Yusei.

"Nope," he chuckled back before reeling Akiza in for a bear hug. "What're you doing here, anyway?" While they were breaking the ice, Luna sat atop the stairs, concealed by a veil of shadows, nervously rubbing her hands together.

"I'm still trying to believe it myself," the psychic shrugged. "I'll tell you the whole story." She strutted into the kitchen as Yusei heard a faint whisper dripping from the second floor.

"What's she doing here?" the college girl squeaked.

"If you want to find out like me, come down, say hi, and she'll tell us both," Yusei whispered back. "Don't be rude."

"I'm not trying to be rude," Luna wheezed back. "I'm just nervous."

"Yusei, do you want my story or not?" Akiza sang from the kitchen.

"I'll be right there," he answered before turning back to Luna. "Well, once you do get over your nerves, you're more than welcome to join us." The girl heard his footsteps echo off before she went back to rubbing her hands.

"What do I do? What do I do?" Luna echoed in her mind.

* * *

><p>"So, what exactly are the events that led up to you coming back to New Domino City?" the scientist spelled out.<p>

"Well, first came me coming across your recent duel with Leo," Akiza answered with a sip of tea.

"You heard about that, didn't you?" Yusei hummed in a hushed tone.

"I did," the former psychic nodded. "From what I understand, you could've lost to him, but good thing you didn't."

"I know," the marked man shrugged. "I don't duel enough now as it is, but I'm glad to see the boy has come this far."

"Anyway, after I finished watching the recording I found of that match, I was wondering what else you were up to," Akiza continued to recall. "A few minutes later, I received a call from someone on the hospital board. I don't know why they chose me, but they wanted a seasoned doctor to travel to New Domino to be a part of a medical summit."

"What are the odds of that?" the scientist uttered. They exchanged a few weak laughs before the expected and awkward silence settled in. For a few brief moments, the atmosphere was at a standstill.

"How has your love life gone?" the doctor asked directly.

"Not exactly good, but not bad either," Yusei listed. "I've had a few dates here and there, went through a mutual breakup, and I'm currently 'testing the waters,' if you will, with someone else right now. She and I are good friends, but nothing's certain yet. What about you?"

"Not much better than you," Akiza sighed. "The longest relationship I had while in medical school lasted a hair over four months. But it wasn't like any of the guys I met were unsavory or anything."

"What do you mean?" the marked man questioned with a cocked eyebrow.

"A lot of them were really insightful and/or eager to learn more," she revealed. "It was just that whenever I found someone, he was either trying to commit to his studies or close to finding a job. Was I upset whenever I couldn't get one to with me? A little bit, but they're just like me: they wanted to learn whatever's necessary to help people. So I'm still hopeful for the best."

"You and I are alike in that facet," Yusei hummed.

"I've missed you, Yusei," Akiza said out of the blue. "I know I told you that I loved getting to know you that night, but I just couldn't bring myself to say what I wanted to." She covered his hands with her own.

"Even though you didn't say what you really wanted to say, I understood you completely," the scientist told her. "And…I've missed you as well."

"You have?" she wondered with high hopes.

"You bet," he winked. "There have been times when I wonder what could've been."

"Me too," Akiza sided, gently stroking Yusei's hands. "My parents have constantly told me that you and I would be perfect together. I didn't disagree with them, but I repeatedly said that you and I each had our own endeavors, working to improve the lives of others."

"And what'd they say?" the scientist questioned back.

"They've come to accept that, but they keep saying that I should at least see what you've been up to," the doctor answered. "Plus, just so we're clear, my being here is not connected to my parents in any way."

"Understood," Yusei affirmed. "Say, how long are you in town for this summit thing?"

"From what I was told, tomorrow is the 'show-around,' and the day after that is reserved for speeches, presentations, and closing remarks," Akiza summarized.

"Just wanted to know," the scientist sighed. "I just wanted to see if you had any free time while you were here that you might want to go on a date or something."

"I'd love to," she agreed willingly.

"In that case, we just have to work out something," Yusei commented nervously.

"No need," she stopped her hopefully-more-than-a-friend. "The last day is a formal event and I'll have to dress up for it. Once it's over and done, we can just go from there."

"All right then," he answered, ever so slightly flustered.

"Well, I guess I should be heading back to my hotel," the former psychic gauged from looking at her watch. "I'll see you then." She leaned in and lightly pecked right under Yusei's right eye. Akiza grabbed her handbag and headed outside, leaving a confused man in her wake.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he asked no one in particular.

"I'll say you have," Luna answered from out of nowhere. She stood in the hallway that led to the kitchen.

"You were listening to me and Akiza, right?" Yusei posed.

"I'm not upset with you or anything," she revealed. "I could've been, but now I realize that you're just looking for someone that can speak to you on every level."

"How did you—?" The scientist's thought was left unfinished for Luna to clarify.

"I'm not that 12 year old girl anymore," she added. "I may be in college, but I've learned plenty after I left the city."

_For those who've been patiently waiting for this chapter, your wish has been granted. I didn't think a lot of action was needed, but rather a deep conversation between Akiza and Yusei. Did it satiate your expectations? I hope so. As for the story, I hope to have it wrapped it up when I reach 20 chapters, as I have yet to actually pass that in any narrative. Anyway, leave your thoughts and feedback in the reviews and I'll try to get to the next part when I can._


	18. Chapter 18

_Now Akiza's in the picture._

The first day of the summit came and went, same as the second day. As with any conference or meeting, there were always going to be people with long and drawn-out speeches. Plus, since she wanted to keep in the know-how, Akiza kept in contact with Yusei about all the goings-on of the summit.

While the last of the speeches were wrapping up, the scientist was putting together the finishing touches of his blazer outfit.

* * *

><p>"Is that sweat on you, Yusei?" Luna wondered. "Are you nervous?" The college girl found this amusing; after all, it was extremely rare to see Yusei nervous about anything. More often than not, he always had that "cooler than ice" mentality on his face.<p>

"Maybe," he tried to downplay. "Why does it matter to you?" All the while, Yusei was spraying a musk-type mist over the blazer he selected for this night, which closely resembled his regular jacket normally reserved for casual or dueling situations.

"I'm just having a hard time believing it," she giggled. "It's not anything like when you duel, 'cause even when it looks bleak, you always pull off a comeback."

"That's different," the scientist threw back. "I have my comfort zones just like everyone else, and if I'm stepping away from my zones, then it's only natural that I get uncomfortable." He brushed down his blazer to smooth out any wrinkles.

"I guess that's true, but—" Luna's comment was cut short by the ringing of Yusei's Android phone. She picked it up and recognized the caller I.D.

"It's Akiza," the girl sang, tossing the device over to Yusei.

"Be gentle with this thing," he scolded the girl before the call. "Yes?"

"Hey Yusei, it's me," Akiza's voice greeted him. "We just finished the speech stuff and I'm wading through the crowds to get to the front."

"Good to know," the marked man responded. "Did you learn anything interesting?"

"A few things," the doctor counted off. "You want to try and keep an open mind at these things."

"Noted," Yusei nodded.

"Anyways, do you have a plan for us tonight?" she wondered in anticipation. "I know the city has changed and all, but I'd like to see more of it up close."

"I've got something up my sleeve," he hinted at her. "Where should I look for you?"

"The front entrance," Akiza answered. "I'll let you go so you can get here."

"I'll see you then," the scientist bade. Right as he was about to click the phone off, the sound of a kiss made its way out.

"You should get moving," Luna broke the silence. In one fluid motion, Yusei threw the blazer up in the air and let it slide on his arms. The college girl hung her mouth open like it was the greatest thing she ever saw.

"I've practiced," he told her with a smirk. "I'm just not as skilled that way with a tie."

"I can help with that," she chirped. The college girl snatched his chosen tie, which was a scaled down style of his muscle shirt, and deftly looped it in place.

"You must know a thing or two about ties," Yusei surmised.

"Leo wasn't good at tying ties either, but I tried my best to burn it in his memory," Luna recalled. She stepped back to take in the scientist's appearance.

"Looking good," she complimented him.

"You're taking this a lot better than I thought you would," the marked duelist added in. "What's up with that?"

"It's like you told Akiza last night," the college girl reminded him. "You're unsure of yourself in the love world, and I'm like your...guide, so to speak."

"I just hope that whatever happens, nothing changes between us," the man hoped, looking at his feet. Taken aback by his comments, Luna zipped right up to him and took hold of his hands.

"Yusei, we've seen the almost-demise of our city twice and faced multiple opponents," she waxed. "The bond we share, just like the others you have with everyone else, can withstand just about anything. You fought hard to make sure we have a world to live in. The least I can ask for you now is for you to find someone to improve your world." Luna put her arms around his torso and gave him a tender hug to show she cared.

"Thank you," he whispered back.

* * *

><p>Akiza paced back and forth in front of the convention center where the summit was being held, patiently waiting for her date.<p>

"I hope he's on his way," she thought to herself. Halfway through yet another pivot, the doctor heard the smooth engine sound of Yusei's Lamborghini. The two-honk "I'm here" sound got her attention.

"He's got a sweet ride," Akiza pondered to herself. She stepped in to see her past savior shaking his head in tune with a few guitar chords.

"Hey there," he greeted her. The once-psychic had donned a ruby red dress that sparkled around her trademark cleavage. Her hair was rolled in a bun behind her head, save for a few strands adding mystique to her face.

"I like how you're dressed," Akiza answered back before Yusei quickly swerved the car back into the rushing traffic. "It's almost like your turbo duel outfit, but with a touch of class."

"Well, that's what I was going for," the scientist shrugged. "I wanted to look very close to what you know me as, but add a formal influence."

"You made it work," she nodded. "You always make it work." They soon came to the same restaurant where Yusei brought Luna, left the car to a valet, and went inside. The hostess on duty showed them to a table close to a fireplace (go figure).

"I don't think this place was here before," Akiza gazed around her. "It's really nice, though."

"It's only been here a few years," the scientist told her, thumbing through the menu. "I was just here not too long ago."

"Oh, yeah? Who with?" she wondered. "Your lady friend whom you haven't told me about?"

"You guess correctly," Yusei confirmed her suspicion. "And it's someone you're quite familiar with."

"Please tell me it's not Sherry," Akiza begged. "I really hope it isn't her."

"Not even close," the black-haired duelist wavered. "It's Luna."

_Usually you hear dramatic music when accompanied with a cliffhanger, but that's what this is: a cliffhanger. How will Akiza react to her date having spent time with Luna? Will it change their relationship? You're going to have to wait for the next part. Put your thoughts and other whatnot in the reviews and stay tuned._


	19. Chapter 19

_The end draws near._

No words were exchanged between Akiza and Yusei when he mentioned that he was seeing Luna. The only audible sounds were the idle chatter going on around them. After what seemed like an eternity, Akiza started to laugh.

"I'm sorry," she tried to apologize while snickering. "This just seems surreal: you and Luna? That is _so_ rich, it's fattening." The supposed humor almost had the doctor falling backwards.

"It's the truth," Yusei breathed without fear. "She's been here for a little over a week now. Once all the paperwork is pushed through, she'll be working for me."

"Then prove it," Akiza dared him, raising her eyebrow. Not even hesitating a little bit, the scientist retrieved his Android from his blazer pocket, set it to "speaker" mode, dialed his house number, hoping the girl would answer, and held it out in front of him.

"Hello?" a timid but familiar voice answered the call. Yusei's mouth formed a content smirk to counter Akiza's expanding eyes.

"How's everything going at home?" the marked man asked her.

"It hasn't burned down yet," Luna zinged. That one-liner got the doctor laughing again.

"That's good to know," he nodded. "Listen, there's someone here who wants to speak to you." Yusei rotated his wrist so that his phone was facing Akiza.

"Luna?" the scarlet-haired woman spoke to get her attention.

"Akiza?" the college girl answered back. "I'm guessing Yusei told you everything?"

"He did," the former psychic confirmed her suspicions.

"I'm sorry for trying to take him from you," Luna quickly apologized.

"I'm not mad at you," Akiza butted in. "I'm just wondering what drove you to want to be with Yusei."

"From the time I met him, he set the standard for what I wanted to have in a boyfriend: selfless, fearless, upright, intuitive, innovative, and devoted," the young woman listed. "After we all left the city, I made it a goal to find someone who fit most, or possibly all, of those qualities."

"And what did you come up with?" the doctor asked.

"I came close twice," the girl counted off. "One of those two came right before I decided to return to New Domino."

"Go on," Akiza requested.

"When I discovered that I'd be working with Yusei on this abroad thing, I thought, 'What better person to fit the qualities I want in a boyfriend than the man who instilled them in his personality and fits them perfectly?'" Luna recalled. "Of course, I realize that I ran the risk that if I can't be the 'one' for Yusei, I'd have to settle from that point on."

"And from when we're girls discovering what love is, we're all told to never settle," the doctor philosophized. "But let me ask you this: do you honestly feel sure of yourself with Yusei at this point?"

"I...I...I don't know," the college girl stammered. "I know how much he means to you, considering all that he went through to break you out of your shell, and he means a lot to me as well from all the times he looked out for me and my brother."

"You speak the truth," Akiza agreed with her. "But for the sake of practicality and whatnot, you and I should come to an understanding face-to-face. Plus, we're running down Yusei's battery."

"I'll let you two go then," Luna answered. "Have fun on your date." The scientist clicked the phone off, pocketed it, and turned his attention back to Akiza.

"I feel like I'm caught in the middle here," he laughed nervously. "Whatever happens between you two, I will not change my opinion of you two."

"I expected something like that out of you," she hinted at him. "We'll try to resolve this where no feelings get hurt." Their meals came and they tried to refrain from any relationship topics just to ease the tension. Eventually, they finished up, Yusei paid the check, and the second part of the date was on: giving Akiza a tour of what was new and different in New Domino City.

* * *

><p>While the tour was happening, the scientist thought he should at least turn the tables and stir up a deep memory only he and Akiza shared ages ago: returning to the Poppo Time workshop.<p>

"It's still here," she gasped with wonder. "Can we go in?"

"Absolutely," Yusei affirmed. He wheeled to the passenger's side door and let Akiza out, as a gentleman should. They sauntered up to the door, began to turn the knob, and stepped back in time.

"Everything looks untouched," she said in wonder. "They say 'home is where the heart is.'"

"This is the first time I've been back as well," the marked duelist informed his date. "If I'm not mistaken, Zora retired a long time ago and Lyndon set out to see the world."

"You don't say," Akiza answered. "This place brings back a lot of memories."

"Same to me, but there's one that stands out to me," he hinted at her.

"I believe I know what you're referring to," the doctor winked at him. "There hasn't been a day that I haven't thought about that day." Another blob of silence floated through the air; Akiza and Yusei were looking at different parts of the building until their eyes came together. Each one felt their heart beat like a jackhammer as they leaned in towards each other and lightly conjoined their lips. For a few brief seconds, time stood still as they massaged each other's mouth. When they parted, they propped their foreheads against one another.

"Perfect," the two mouthed simultaneously.

* * *

><p>They returned to Yusei's home shortly after finishing up the tour. Before the scientist could even open the front door, Akiza stopped him to say something.<p>

"I had fun tonight," she simply said.

"Me too," the duelist nodded. They stepped inside and found Luna thumbing through a magazine in the living room.

"You two look awfully happy," the girl wavered at them. "I like your dress, Akiza."

"Thanks," the female doctor blushed. "It's high time we figure this love...triangle out and hopefully neither of us will be emotionally fragile after this." Yusei took this as his cue to slip away and let the women sort this out.

"Akiza, Luna, you two are hands-down my favorite women and you've been the balance to Crow, Jack, and Leo," he thought to himself. "I know you two can put this to rest."

_Cliffhangers do a lot for storytelling: they keep the audience hungering for more and wondering every plausible outcome. For the life of me, please don't hate me for instituting another hanger on you folks. You will have to wait a little longer for the outcome since I start school tomorrow. All I can say now is: review if you choose and hope for the best._


	20. Chapter 20

_It's come down to this._

Once Yusei was out of view, Akiza slowly treaded over to where Luna was sitting and took a spot next to her.

"You've grown quite a bit," the doctor said to break the ice. "But you're still the same timid little girl who just wants to be heard."

"And you're still the same old Akiza," Luna answered back. "Not the Black Rose, but the kind and gentle spirit who can be more than just a pretty face with a curiously large...endowment." The college girl had trouble trying to sugarcoat the fact that she knew that Akiza was probably uneasy through her teenage years of her chest size.

"You're one to talk," the red-headed woman jarred back playfully. "I mean, look at yours. Did you draw Yusei in with yours? I would hope that you at least advertised it in some way."

"Don't worry about that," the girl winked. "I guess my physiology decided to mirror yours in some way since you were the only older female around that I trusted and looked up to."

"That makes some sense," Akiza shrugged. The two shared a few weak laughs before that eerie silence wafted through the living room. After a few tense moments of quietness, Luna was the first to speak.

"Did he kiss you?" she asked directly.

"What now?" Akiza questioned back, taken off guard.

"You heard me," Luna tried to emphasize. "Did...Yusei...kiss...you?"

"He did," the doctor nodded.

"And...how did it feel?" Luna continued to investigate.

"Honestly?" the former psychic pondered before Luna nodded yes. "It was...an experience. Although I didn't have a chance to kiss him while we were all still together, it was exactly how I imagined it would be: strong, but confident. Just like Yusei."

"That's funny," the college girl mouthed in a low tone. "That's how I characterize what I shared with Yusei as well."

"I should've seen that coming," the doctor assumed.

"What am I supposed to do?" Luna voiced a few octaves below a shriek. "I mean, it was a dream coming true at first to just come home and bask in the changed scenery. Sure, back in school, I toyed with the notion that I could be with Yusei. At that time, it may have been a long shot, but there was a very small part of me that truly believed this could happen." In order to prevent the younger girl from breaking out into tears, Akiza scooted closer to her and deftly wrapped her arms around her shoulders in an attempt to keep her calm.

"We talked about this earlier," the older woman recapped. "You're just unsure of what you're looking for. While it may sound logical to go with the person who set the parameters for your ideal boyfriend, you're not leaving much room for qualities that set other guys apart from each other."

"Then where does that leave me?" Luna questioned her role model. "To me, Yusei's the ideal figure of perfection. And I want nothing less than perfection."

"Don't we all?" Akiza tried to agree with her. "But let me ask you this: if Yusei is what you perceive to be perfection personified, have you been able to find any imperfections about him that draw you in just as more?"

"What do you mean?" the college girl responded in a question.

"I learned this in medical school, and I still hold it to my standards to this day," the doctor explained. "As much as all women want to find that shining symbol of perfection, it makes even more sense to find someone that, while with desirable qualities, has some imperfections that mix things up or that can be fixed with a woman's touch."

"What I'm saying is that if you do want to be with Yusei, you may very well burn out quickly on him and realize later that getting exactly what you want isn't always a good thing," Akiza summarized. She looked down at Luna, who didn't have a look of despair on her face but a look of deep thought.

"Am I getting through to you?" the older woman wondered.

"You are," Luna affirmed. "I guess I never thought of it like what you said. But have I risked anything with Yusei yet, in your eyes?"

"Not exactly," Akiza wavered. "Since you and Yusei didn't commit to anything yet, the only thing you can take from this is that you know what being with Yusei was like."

"I guess," the college girl shrugged. "But that's what the world of love is about: taking chances with those you feel a connection to. I now know that while Yusei has a lot of desirable traits that other women would want, in addition to you and me, I don't see anything that I would want to help change about him."

"So does this mean you're gonna be returning to the open market, so to speak?" the doctor hypothesized.

"Don't worry," Luna tittered slightly. "I'll keep searching, and I want to thank you, Akiza. You helped me realize that sometimes getting what you want can be boring. I feel like my tastes will change and I believe I will find someone who'll mesh with me."

"Anytime, Luna," the doctor responded warmly. "We may not be related, but I feel that bond forming that people see between really close sisters." She gave the younger one a light squeeze before they got up and journeyed up the stairs to find Yusei.

* * *

><p>The scientist was routinely typing away on his computer, blazer on the coat rack and tie untied, when he heard a series of knocks at his door. He looked up to see a resolute Luna and Akiza.<p>

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"Very smoothly," Akiza responded first. "I helped Luna to change her tune."

"That you did," the college girl agreed. "I see now that you two are more compatible for each other. And as for me, I'll find someone soon."

"You must be some kind of magician, Akiza," Yusei praised her.

"That's not in my job description," the doctor laughed while reaching into her purse and pulling out a white card, pressing it to her lips, and flinging it to Yusei. "That's one of my business cards. I have to get moving, but I'll be back soon enough. You two stay sweet while I'm gone." She gave a wink to seal the "joke," gave Luna a quick hug, blew a kiss to Yusei, and jogged outside to a waiting taxi.

"It was nice while it lasted," Luna recounted. "Now that I think about it, it's better this way."

"I think you're right," the scientist agreed. "I got a message while you two were downstairs saying that all the paperwork has been pushed through. You start working for me tomorrow."

"Finally," she sang with her fists shaking in the air. "Are there any guys that I might want to look into?"

"That's for you to decide," Yusei shrugged. "The average age of the guys that work for me is between 22 and 23, so you have your pick of the litter." Luna strolled behind his deck, leaned down, and slipped her arms behind his back.

"I'll find someone," she assured him. "I will."

_That's all she wrote, folks. Hopefully the wait was worth what you read here today. What happens after this point is what you want imagine it as, but the story is complete. If someone wants to continue it, just ask. The college dregs take a lot out of people. This may very well be my last story for a while. I have to see how my workload's going to play out. While I have a chance, for those in the path of Hurricane Irene, be sure to stay safe. Keep reading and reviewing my stories. And thank you to those who followed this one from the start. You guys rock. That's all for now._


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